Badgers are one of England’s favourite mammals, their familiar black-and-white stripes often viewed at night as they come out of their elaborate family setts (some passed down over generations) to seek out earthworms (they eat up to 200 a night) plus fallen berries, slugs, snails and the occasional hedgehog (whose endangered status is not due to badgers, but habitat loss and road traffic accidents).
But although badgers have been with us for over 250,000 years, around half the population have now been shot dead (some not immediately – they crawl off to die when not killed by skilled marksmen) due to the false belief that they are responsible for causing the huge bovine TB epidemic in England. There are no badger culls in Wales and Scotland, yet these countries have less bovine TB.
What Causes Bovine TB?
Bovine TB is a horrible disease that affects cattle and their farmers. It’s a zoonotic disease, which means it can spread to other species. Yet less than 5% of culled badgers have been found to carry TB serious enough to infect cattle or other badgers. Many believe the reason for badgers culls is simply political stubbornness. The previous government’s links with the hunting industry led many farmers to be misled into thinking that badgers were the main cause of cattle TB. When in fact, it’s now very much proven that around 94% of bovine TB cases are due to cattle-to-cattle transmission.
Although badger vaccination projects have been carried out by wildlife volunteers (and this is not just kinder and more effective, but cheaper than culls), it does not solve the issue. As until we solve cattle-to-cattle transmission cause, the situation will continue.
A cattle vaccination is the obvious answer, but after years of campaigning, the government is only now beginning field tests. In August 2024, the new Labour government announced that it will now stop badger culls within five years, but critics ask why it they would not stop immediately, considering they do not work. The government does plan to replace culls with vaccinations of both cattle and badgers. But this must be done immediately to protect cattle, farmers and badgers.
How Can Farmers Stop Bovine TB?
As stated above, a cattle vaccination is by far the best solution. But until that occurs, there are a few other ways that farmers can help prevent cattle-to-cattle transmission of bovine TB, endorsed by farm vets and The Badger Trust:
- Better cattle testing – the bovine skin test is not very reliable, so many cattle get missed in results. At present, vets are not automatically notified of results (if they were, they could then inform nearby farmers to take actions like movement controls and avoidance of shared grazing and vehicles).
- Controls on cattle movement – buying one infected cow at a cattle market could infect the rest of the herd. The Badger Trust wants cattle not to be sent to low-risk areas if purchased, unless tested to be TB-free.
- Effective slurry management – as slurry can contain TB for up to 6 months (and can also live in hay, silage and water), more careful cleansing methods are needed on farms (at gates especially) plus with footwear and vehicles.
- Additional biosecurity measures – farmers should prove they have taken additional measures before being compensated. This includes doing all of the above, and taking measures to humanely prevent wildlife living in farm buildings using methods, like sheeted gates. Although farmers undoubtedly do suffer, they need to take some of the responsibility for ensuring that infected badgers are not near farms, and they are following stringent advice to prevent cattle-to-cattle transmission of TB.
England has a particular problem with bovine TB, due to higher rates of intensive farming than most other countries in Europe. This is when cattle are housed indoors during winter, which increased the chance of infections spreading and stress (and of course lowers immunity).
One organic farmer in the Cotswolds hit upon a solution a few years back to keep both his cattle and local badgers TB-free. Thinking that it was due to low immunity, he fed the badgers a molasses mineral block, with high selenium. He never had any cow TB as a result. So he contacted DEFRA to see if blood profiles of badgers had mineral deficiencies. And was amazed to learn that despite the tens of millions of pounds spent on culling badgers, nobody could answer the question.
Queen guitarist (and astrophysicist) Brian May has been at the forefront of arguing the science for a stop on badger culls for several years. He and others say that farmers are being let down by DEFRA, by being fed incorrect advice on how to protect their herds and their livelihoods.
Sign the End the Cull petition launched by Badger Trust, after publication of their report Tackling Bovine TB Together, which call for an end to culls to help not just badgers and cattle, but also farmers.
The Badger Cull Has Not Helped Farmers
Many farmers have had entire herds slaughtered, when they have become infected with TB, and there are not enough farm sanctuaries to find homes for remaining healthy herds, if farms cannot be sold on, due to previous infections. And researchers at Oxford University say that the badger cull may actually have increased bovine TB in neighbouring herds by almost a third.
Recently farming unions have criticised a documentary made by ex-Queen guitarist Brian May. However there are enough bodies of wildlife experts, badger experts and cattle experts who all say that the badger cull has not worked. And obviously as an emotive issue for farmers, we have to ensure that their needs are heard, but from them direct rather than big farming unions, often with vested interests in keeping the status quo.
