Stand up for badgers

badger

Bertie Gregory/2020VISION

Stand up for badgers

We firmly stand against the badger cull

In March 2021 the UK Government were consulting on the issuing of licences for the badger cull. If, as the consultation proposes, they delay this until 2022, we could see the death of at least 130,000 more badgers.

We asked the Government to stop issuing cull licences immediately, and over 35,000 of you joined us in responding to the consultation using our simple form. 

Thank you!

Read our consultation response here

Badger

Andrew Mason

What is happening?

The Wildlife Trusts have always been firmly opposed to the badger cull and believe that it is an ineffective tool in the fight against bovine tuberculosis (bTB). To date, over 140,000 badgers have been culled. The proposals recently announced by the Government as part of a consultation process will result in another 130,000 badgers being killed, taking the total to almost 300,000. The total badger population in England and Wales was estimated to be around 485,000 in 2017.

We can’t let this happen

Based on our analysis of the consultation, We are calling on the Government to:

  1. Stop issuing badger cull licences immediately. This will bring an end to the badger cull sooner, in 2023, rather than in 2025 as proposed, saving tens of thousands of badgers.
  2. Implement a cattle vaccine. Cattle vaccination offers the best long-term way to reduce bovine TB in the cattle population.
  3. Review how cattle are transported around the country and ensure measures are in place to prevent infection spread from cattle to cattle.

Recent Government proposals suggested an end to granting cull licenses in 2022, but this could still result in another 130,000 badgers being killed.

Badger © Andrew Parkinson/2020VISION

Badger © Andrew Parkinson/2020VISION

Our stance against the badger cull

Discover more about badgers, and why we firmly oppose the badger cull

Discover more