South-West Farmers support a badger cull

Do you want to learn or teach people about badgers?
Click here to buy our presentations all about badgers!

10 March 2006 - BBC News

More than 90% of South West farmers support the idea of a badger cull as a way of controlling bovine TB, according to a survey. The research was carried out by the National Farmers' Union (NFU) and the Country Land and Business Association. The result showed 94% in favour of a cull, although less than 50% said they would be willing to take part in the actual culling of the animals.

Badger groups deny the creatures are responsible for bovine TB. The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has admitted TB in cattle is one of its biggest problems. The government said more measures were necessary to stop the increase of the disease and it has been carrying out a three month long public consultation on whether to introduce badger culling. That consultation period ends on Friday.

Opposition to the consultation has been submitted in writing to the government by some environmental and wildlife groups in the region, stating a cull of badgers made "no scientific or economic sense".

In January, the West Country Badger Action Group said it would take whatever action it felt was necessary to save the animals if a cull was introduced.

The South West is one of the worst-affected areas for bovine TB. In Devon, 1,144 farms were put under restrictions at some point because of positive TB tests between January and November 2005. That is almost 20% of the county's cattle farms. In Cornwall, the figure was 635.

For more information, please click the following link:

• http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/4792220.stm

Badger Encounters in the Wild book
Superb book of Jim Crumley's encounters with badgers in the wild in Scotland. The quality of the writing is superb. A great  read. Click here to buy: Encounters in the wild

External News

We have provided links to stories from external news organisations so you can follow the media interest in badgers, and see who writes on the subject. We do not endorse external authors.