Gardaí investigating suspected ‘badger baiting’ in County Limerick have issued an appeal for information.

It comes after Gardaí and the National Parks and Wildlife Service found two large holes in the ground in a rural location near Croagh village yesterday afternoon.

Investigators believe the holes were intentionally dug as part of the practice known as ‘badger baiting’ – when badgers are dug out of their sets and captured.

They are then forced to fight with dogs.

Badgers are a protected species and badger baiting is a serious offence under the Wildlife Act.

Gardaí are now appealing to anyone with any information to contact them.

They are particularly interested in talking to anyone that was in the Croagh village area or the wider Adare and Rathkeale areas during 1pm and 4pm yesterday afternoon and saw “anything which resembled this or anything which may have drawn their attention”.

Gardaí are also asking road users who were in the area at the time to hand over any dash cam footage they may have.

Main image shows a badger emerging from his set in County Carlow, 09-05-2010. Image: Padraig Kavanagh / Alamy