Badger, Badger, Badger

[Spiritinthesky]

The Badger culls are due to begin in June 2013, it’s now or never for the badgers!

Brian May has launched a petition so they can deliver 250,000 voices against the badger cull to ensure that the Government can’t ignore this any longer.

If you want to help please click here: Team Badger

[maxthecollie]

Done

[Neil]

I am guessing you don't think the Badger cull should go ahead.
Why do you think it shouldn't?

[cmonstanley]

because brian may is going pay for immunisation and dont remember anything on the the news of an epidemic of tb in cows .this is just a cash cow for loonies with guns,

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by cmonstanley

because brian may is going pay for immunisation and dont remember anything on the the news of an epidemic of tb in cows .this is just a cash cow for loonies with guns,

Going south for your autumn break C'Mon

[Eric]

What's the problem with badgers? Is it a disease thing; or are they just a pest? And how is the cull gonna take place? Will wildlife officers do the culling?

[DtheP47]

Originally Posted by Eric

What's the problem with badgers? Is it a disease thing; or are they just a pest? And how is the cull gonna take place? Will wildlife officers do the culling?

Ongoing debate Eric about whether they transmit Tuberculosis to cattle...it's been rumbling on for years.
Lot's of pros and cons int t'internet.
I am not convinced that the facts either way stack up. Spin and skew both sides.

[Gordon Booth]

Originally Posted by Eric

What's the problem with badgers? Is it a disease thing; or are they just a pest? And how is the cull gonna take place? Will wildlife officers do the culling?

About 6% of them carry bovine TB. As they wander about they spread infection to deer, horses, dogs etc but particularly cattle.
The taxpayer paid out £100 million in compensation to farmers in 2012 and that didn't fully compensate them.
You can't vaccinate the cows, the vaccine makes them show positive for TB even if they haven't got it. Anyway, the EU says no so that's it.
If tested positive the cow has to be destroyed.
At the moment badger TB is only in the SW of England so they hope a cull will contain it there and hopefully eliminate it.
The Government will use gamekeepers, police marksmen and licensed rifle owners(who are already called in to cull deer).
So far culling wildlife and cattle has been the only way any country has successfully eliminated
bovine TB.

Sorry, DtheP, didn't see your post. I think the science is proved but badgers are so cute it's got emotional. If it was rats no one would bother.

[DtheP47]

Sorry, DtheP, didn't see your post. I think the science is proved but badgers are so cute it's got emotional. If it was rats no one would bother.

I spend most weekends in the Principality and interestingly the Welsh have decided against the cull.

http://www.badger.org.uk/_Attachment...ces/784_S4.pdf

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/20...ine-tb-badgers


Cost of badger cull may force U-turn | Environment | guardian.co.uk

[maxthecollie]

I think we should have a government cull.

[Gordon Booth]

Originally Posted by DtheP47

I spend most weekends in the Principality and interestingly the Welsh have decided against the cull.

Well they are Welsh, aren't they?

Anyway, they won't be too worried, sheep don't catch it, do they.

[Less]

Originally Posted by Gordon Booth;

I think the science is proved but badgers are so cute it's got emotional. If it was rats no one would bother.

Unfortunately we have a thread starter that won't put forward facts, I wish the badgers could be spared, however if it were practicable to vaccinate the badgers, somehow I think it would already have been done.
TB testing of cattle has kept it away from all of us, not the best way to die ask mags, she'll have the details.

So long as it's done as humanely as possible rather than for badger baiting sport, should we object to keeping farmers and their well cared for cattle safe?

One bad cow can ruin many lives, I know, I married one.

[DtheP47]

Originally Posted by Less

Unfortunately we have a thread starter that won't put forward facts, I wish the badgers could be spared, however if it were practicable to vaccinate the badgers, somehow I think it would already have been done.
TB testing of cattle has kept it away from all of us, not the best way to die ask mags, she'll have the details.

So long as it's done as humanely as possible rather than for badger baiting sport, should we object to keeping farmers and their well cared for cattle safe?

One bad cow can ruin many lives, I know, I married one.

They are doing it in Wales Less.

Update 28 November 2012: Badger vaccination total tops 1400.

Environment Minister, John Griffiths has announced that the Welsh Government has now vaccinated over 1400 badgers in the Intensive Action Area.
The Minister confirmed that the Welsh Government had now completed the first year of its badger vaccination programme which is part of a wider programme of work to eradicate bovine TB from cattle in Wales.

[DtheP47]

Lifted this off the Guardian article:

So the debate continues. It's an argument about science, politics and economics. It centres on protecting food animals from harm, just as our ancestors have done since farming first got started. But, to me, it also raises interesting questions about how we see ourselves and other animals. It's about how much we see ourselves as a "dominant" species, entitled to subjugate the needs of other animals beneath our own. It's about how much room we demand as a human population (with a taste for milk and beef) and how much room we're prepared to make for wildlife.

And let's not forget, if it hadn't been for us, cattle and badgers might not have had TB in the first place

[cmonstanley]

in fact youve got some farmers who support vaccination then youve got the hooray henrys who just want to shoot everything including us poor peasants