Man hit with severe penalty after shocking act is caught on camera: 'Total disregard for the consequences'

One man went out of his way to destroy a badger's den and soon paid the price. However, some argue the punishment is not enough, as Fife Today reported.

Dylan Boyle, a resident of Cupar, Scotland, was fined £400 (about $515) after being found guilty of damaging a badger sett and obstructing a badger sett, which are crimes under the Protection of Badgers Act of 1992.

A badger sett, or den, is a network of tunnels, entrances, and chambers where badgers sleep, eat, and raise their young. These tunnels can be used for generations of badgers, with some lasting for hundreds of years.

Boyle jumped a wire fence to access the sett, and he then blocked the den entrances with nets and used a spade to disrupt the dirt. Unfortunately for Boyle, the entire thing was caught on camera by investigators from the League Against Cruel Sports, a UK-based animal welfare organization.

Iain Batho, who handles wildlife and environmental crime for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said, "Dylan Boyle's actions were deliberate and carried out with a total disregard for the consequences they could have for a protected species," per Fife Today.

Badgers play an important part in an ecosystem. Disturbed soil while building setts promotes plant growth, while their inactive dens provide shelter for other animals, like foxes and rabbits. They mainly eat earthworms, but they are known to dine on rodents, which helps keep agricultural pests in check.

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Habitat destruction is one of the main causes of endangerment and extinction. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List, over 47,000 species are threatened with extinction. Extinction throws ecosystems out of balance, putting other species at risk — an unforgiving cycle.

While Boyle was caught, some believe the punishment doesn't do enough to deter criminals.

Robbie Marsland, the director of Scotland and Northern Ireland for League Against Cruel Sports, told Fife Today that "crimes against wildlife remain far too common in Scotland."

Marsland added: "While I wish his sentence was more severe it should serve as a reminder, to all those who enjoy harming wild animals in the countryside, that our cameras are everywhere."