CLAW CLEANER

QWe have deep scratches on the trunk of one of our eucalyptus trees. Can you please advise what animal could have done this? The tree is 20yd from the house. We have occasional roe, muntjac, hare and plenty of rabbits.

PC, by email

AIt’s difficult to be sure as there is nothing to give a true sense of scale. However, Charles Smith-jones at The British Deer Society says it’s highly unlikely that this damage was done by a roe or a muntjac as both species tend to choose rather thinner, “whippier” trees for fraying with their antlers. Sika deer do indulge in bole scoring – gouging the trunks of trees with their antlers – but they are rather more localised. It’s too high for bark stripping by rabbits and hares and it doesn’t extend to the base of the tree – and, in such cases, tooth marks would be apparent. He suggests that it is a badger scratching post. They will often stand on their hind legs and, reaching as high as they can, gouge the tree bark downwards with their claws. I believe that badgers do this as a form of territorial marking, although I’ve heard it suggested that the activity also cleans dirt from their claws.