The badger whisperer

A nature-lover has been coined the 'The Badgerman' after a badger sett accepted him into their community. Gareth Morgan, from Newtown in Powys, was birdwatching when he stumbled upon the secretive animals in the Welsh countryside.

The 68-year-old visited the site three times a week for more than five years, as the animals slowly became accustomed to his presence.



At first, Mr Morgan would simply observe the wary animals from a distance. But as the badgers grew familiar with the grandfather, he began whispering to them, coaxing them closer.

Now the wild animals will eat from his hand and even allow him to put TCP on minor wounds and scratches. He said: 'People ask me what I whisper but that's between me and them. It worked because I won their confidence and they started literally eating out of the palm of my hand.'



Mr Morgan recently retired from his job as a education officer giving him more time to spend whispering to his woodland friends.

Mr Morgan is naturally very secretive about the location of the set but he has photographed and filmed his badger friends over the years.