[News] GBBM - the Great British Badger Massacre

[Wardy's twin]

Only in this country would we define a species as needing special protection and then go all out to slaughter them, at least in America they are honest about there 'i don't care about wildlife approach'.

Yes this is a generalism but this year 60k badgers will be/have been shot (20% of the UK population) and yet the science says culling does really work , its expensive and eradicating badgers only introduces other imbalances in nature and they are not the only factor involved. The drive for slaughter from this comes from farmers and they put pressure on the local (usually Tory MP). Studies have shown that the recent surge came post the Foot & Mouth epidemic which led to greatly reduced checking on farm animals that were spread across the country in the restocking phase. Other factors are poor farm practises where food stuffs are not kept properly secure. Its not due to badgers suckling from cows they avoid them. There is also the other great myth that badgers are wiping out the hedgehogs, they certainly predate them on occasion but as they have co-existed for many thousands of years they are not the cause of their demise.

Am I the only one on NSC who thinks this is wrong?

Is there anyone prepared to put up an argument to defend culling?

 

[Pavilionaire]

It is wrong, and it's always the badgers. When was the last time anyone smashed a beaver?

 

[Saltydog]

I agree ref the balancing of wildlife but really have no solution. IMHO Most of the issue is man made.

One consideration however is that with the loss of habitat for foraging due to intensive farming methods (I live in a predominantly arable farming region), badgers, who have no natural predators since the culling of wolves, are now also a major cause for the reduction in hedgehogs as their usual snuffling and foraging habitat disappears. It is unbelievable but they really do get through all those spines. Even foxes do not want to take them on it seems so you could say they are now top of the wildlife stack now.

 

[beorhthelm]

i recall a long time ago reading something fairly even handed, verdict on preventing TB spread was mixed. the thing that stuck was that culling kept the badger population healthy, in areas without a cull they have all sorts of diseases.

 

[Perfidious Albion]

Agreed... This from The Wildlife Trust

“A large number of eminent scientists have opposed the badger cull on the grounds that it cannot solve the problem of bovine TB in cattle. A letter signed by 31 renowned scientists in October 2012 stated “we believe … that licensed culling risks increasing cattle TB rather than reducing it.” This was followed in 2015 by a group of 27 independent vets who wrote an open letter expressing their professional concern that the scientific evidence should be re-examined before authorising further culling activity. These included whether a thorough Disease Risk Analysis had been completed for the policy. ”

 

[The red pepper kid]

it is terrible what man is doing to wildlife, and the planet - were Doomed I say

 

[El Presidente]

Am I the only one on NSC who thinks this is wrong?

Calling [MENTION=34942]Dr. No[/MENTION]

 

[e77]

I can't see it being a breakout hit like the Great British Bake Off, TBH.

 

[big hilda]

Here you go

https://wildjustice.org.uk/

 

[Hotchilidog]

Only in this country would we define a species as needing special protection and then go all out to slaughter them, at least in America they are honest about there 'i don't care about wildlife approach'.

Yes this is a generalism but this year 60k badgers will be/have been shot (20% of the UK population) and yet the science says culling does really work , its expensive and eradicating badgers only introduces other imbalances in nature and they are not the only factor involved. The drive for slaughter from this comes from farmers and they put pressure on the local (usually Tory MP). Studies have shown that the recent surge came post the Foot & Mouth epidemic which led to greatly reduced checking on farm animals that were spread across the country in the restocking phase. Other factors are poor farm practises where food stuffs are not kept properly secure. Its not due to badgers suckling from cows they avoid them. There is also the other great myth that badgers are wiping out the hedgehogs, they certainly predate them on occasion but as they have co-existed for many thousands of years they are not the cause of their demise.

Am I the only one on NSC who thinks this is wrong?

Is there anyone prepared to put up an argument to defend culling?

It's a complete and utter disgrace. It is also totally pointless.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

It's disgusting - should never happen. What makes it even worse is that there is a vaccine for cattle to protect against the type of TB badgers pass on .... only it's banned .... by the EU !!!! Hmmmm .....

 

[big hilda]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-54706675

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I'd be absolutely THRILLED to see a live badger. Only ever seen one, dead at the side of the road. Still get a big kick out of seeing an urban fox. Draw the line at squirrels tho. Especially the little shits that lord it over my loft with their tiny hooves. They can fvrk RIGHT off

 

[Billy the Fish]

I'd be absolutely THRILLED to see a live badger. Only ever seen one, dead at the side of the road. Still get a big kick out of seeing an urban fox. Draw the line at squirrels tho. Especially the little shits that lord it over my loft with their tiny hooves. They can fvrk RIGHT off

You can do it at Wakehurst place if you buy a ticket, in the summer at dusk you can go in a special hide and watch them come out and forage. A bit pricey but a decent experience if you like that sort of thing.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I'd be absolutely THRILLED to see a live badger. Only ever seen one, dead at the side of the road. Still get a big kick out of seeing an urban fox. Draw the line at squirrels tho. Especially the little shits that lord it over my loft with their tiny hooves. They can fvrk RIGHT off

Used to have friends who had a house at the top of Withdean Park who's garden backed on to the woods. They would get badgers every night in their garden. Went and watched them a few times after putting sausages out on the lawn - utterly enthralling.

 

[GT49er]

I'd be absolutely THRILLED to see a live badger.

You're not the only one!

 

[MattBackHome]

The Infamous Great British Badger Massacre 2014

But yes I agree wholehheartedly with the OP.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Only in this country would we define a species as needing special protection and then go all out to slaughter them, at least in America they are honest about there 'i don't care about wildlife approach'.

Yes this is a generalism but this year 60k badgers will be/have been shot (20% of the UK population) and yet the science says culling does really work , its expensive and eradicating badgers only introduces other imbalances in nature and they are not the only factor involved. The drive for slaughter from this comes from farmers and they put pressure on the local (usually Tory MP). Studies have shown that the recent surge came post the Foot & Mouth epidemic which led to greatly reduced checking on farm animals that were spread across the country in the restocking phase. Other factors are poor farm practises where food stuffs are not kept properly secure. Its not due to badgers suckling from cows they avoid them. There is also the other great myth that badgers are wiping out the hedgehogs, they certainly predate them on occasion but as they have co-existed for many thousands of years they are not the cause of their demise.

Am I the only one on NSC who thinks this is wrong?

Is there anyone prepared to put up an argument to defend culling?

I'm with you and Brian May on this one, although I never knew farmers usually had Tory local MPs. Hate seeing all the dead badgers on the roadsides at the moment.

 

[WATFORD zero]

It's disgusting - should never happen. What makes it even worse is that there is a vaccine for cattle to protect against the type of TB badgers pass on .... only it's banned .... by the EU !!!! Hmmmm .....

Well maybe we can add it to this list of things that you thought could be changed after we have left the EU

Well given nothing has actually changed it's hard to comment on it. We still have the same food and animal welfare standards. In fact the government have already promised that after Brexit the live export will be reviewed .... something the EU have categorically refused to do.
....

It's a statement of fact that Germany have NOT removed VAT from sanitary products ( and couldn't ), they've just lowered them. Equally, we can't until the end of the year remove VAT for essential service such as gas and electric. I'd also suggest we should remove VAT from internet access - but guess what - we can't while 'members' of the EU.
..

Strange, because I keep getting told that we left the EU nearly a year ago and it appears that none of these things that you thought would happen, have even been considered

And there you go, dragging the B word back up again when things are looking so good. I really can't imagine why you don't use the relevant thread for these B related musings

 

[WATFORD zero]

Despite WS's attempts, back on topic

We had fed our local foxes and badgers for years in our back garden and it had got to the point where they would come to within a couple of feet of us. You could always tell when the Badgers were around as the cat and the foxes disappeared. They are very special.

Unfortunately our cat is elderly and has gone deaf over the last 18 months, so we stopped the feeding as we thought that a deaf cat and a few lively badgers may not be a good combination. Shame as she used to love chasing the foxes all over the garden in her heyday