10,866 Badgers Have Been Killed in This Year’s Culls

This autumn, more than 10,000 badgers were shot to death as part of the government’s cruel and misguided badger cull.

According to government data published last week, the figures from this year bring the total number of badgers killed to 14,800 since the culling started in 2013. This year’s killings totalled seven times more than the number killed last year.

Massacring wildlife in this way is wrong on every level – here’s why:

• It’s inhumane. Half the badgers killed this year were shot without being trapped, a method condemned by the British Veterinary Association in 2015 as inhumane.
• It’s unfair. Badgers shouldn’t be used as a scapegoat for poor practices by dairy farmers which have led to a rise in the number of cases of bovine tuberculosis (bTB). Scientists and other experts agree that in order to reduce instances of bTB, there needs to be more biosecurity on farms and a lot more regulation and care during the movement of cattle.
• It’s expensive. The killings in 2015 cost taxpayers a staggering £1,212 per badger killed. This round of culling could have incurred estimated costs of £33.6 million.
• It’s ineffective. There’s no sound scientific evidence that killing badgers prevents the spread of bTB. Experts suggest that other approaches, such as increased disease testing, would be far more successful – and wouldn’t harm thousands of wild animals.

It’s hard to believe that the government wants to continue with this shameful and misguided attack on badgers for another four years.

Stand Up for Britain’s Badgers

Here are two ways to help:

• Get involved with a wounded-badger patrol in your area. Find details of local groups on the Team Badger website.
• The rise of bTB is directly linked to how cows are treated by dairy farmers. Consider changing your lifestyle to stop supporting the damaging dairy industry.