Badger damage closes country road near Colpy
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A rural road near Colpy is closed after being undermined by badgers.
A sink hole has developed on the U64, referred to locally as the Devils Folly, as a result of activity by badgers where the road crosses the River Urie.
Aberdeenshire Council have called in a wildlife expert to advise on the safe re-settling of the badgers to a nearby location.
A badger's sett can extend to up to 50 metres long and a family can be up to eight animals. They mate almost all year round and have on average two or three young.
A spokesman said: “We have had to close the U64 south of Coply due to a cete of badgers living near the road. Once we have successfully re-located the cete further investigatory work will be carried out to determine the extent of the damage and the works required to stabilise the road.
"The road may be closed for a while, so we would encourage road users to follow the diversion until the road reopens. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”