Badgers disrupt train service in the Netherlands.

Badgers burrowing under rail tracks have halted trains in the northern and southern Netherlands, forcing lengthy cancellations on at least two lines. The digging means "the rails can subside and then the safety of train traffic can no longer be guaranteed," ProRail, the company that maintains the Dutch rail network said in a statement. Badgers are protected animals in the Netherlands, so rail operators have to get permission to move them or disturb their habitat before repairs can begin.