European Badger, 2021 (Wild Life Europe by Schleich)

Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972

As its name suggests, the European badger (Meles meles) also known as the common badger or just plain old badger to those folks residing in Europe, ranges throughout the entire continent. It is arguably the second biggest land mustelid after the wolverine and its tenacity and toughness has led it to be frequently depicted in U.K. literature by famed authors such as Kenneth Grahame, Beatrix Potter, C.S. Lewis, and Brian Jacques.

The Schleich badger was released in 2021. At a little over 8 cm long, it scales rather well with most other toys of smaller fauna. It is sculpted with its left front leg forward and its head turned slightly to the left. Its base colour is black with medium grey wash applied to most of the body in order to make the fur on its back appear dark grey. The underbelly and feet are straight black with medium grey claws. The head has black and white markings with faint white markings in front of the ears, glossy black eyes and nose, and a black mouth line. The European badger is often considered the most handsome-looking of all the badgers and this toy does a good job of reflecting that.

The fur on this badger is impressively sculpted and appears thick and furry. Each of its paws ends in five large claws, essential for what their owner does best: digging. Badgers are renowned for creating elaborate underground burrows known as setts. A single sett includes a vast network of tunnels, multiple openings for easy access or escape, and several living chambers lined with bedding material made from dry grass and leaves that the badger will regularly throw out and replace.

Judging from the relatively narrow head, broad tail, and lack of a visible scrotum, this badger appears to be a female (males tend to have broader skulls and thinner, whiter tails). Her slightly upturned mouth gives her a rather friendly appearance, although European badgers have a reputation for being ferocious fighters. And while much of their diet consists of fruits and cereals, it also preys on small mammals such as rodents, rabbits, and hedgehogs, amphibians, slugs and snails, beetles, and even wasp nests. But its most important food source of all is earthworms.

The Schleich badger is quite a nice little toy, one that is accurate, well-sculpted and beautifully painted. Strangely, it is absent from the 2022 Schleich catalog booklet, which suggests that it has already been discontinued. Don’t ask me why this is so, but if you’re looking to acquire this badger, you should probably act now.