Badger cull update

Earlier this year, the government indicated they would be phasing out the badger cull in favour of vaccination programmes. We welcomed this news at the time, but still maintained the position that the cull is cruel, unscientific, and should be ended immediately rather than being phased out.

We are frustrated and saddened by the turn the government has now taken. The cull has shockingly been expanded into 11 new zones, meaning more than 60,000 badgers may be killed. This is an extremely disturbing development, and indicates a change in position by the government.

We are also disappointed with the government’s proposed minimum buffer zone of 200m between cull zones and vaccination zones. We also criticised this in our response to the government’s recent consultation on this matter. For comparison, the Wildlife Trusts recommended a buffer zone of 7km.

It seems that the government are backtracking on their previous pledge to move away from culling, and are instead caving to pressure from the dairy industry, who push for a cull rather than accepting and addressing their own shortcomings and responsibility for the spread of Bovine Tb.

While this news is hugely disappointing to many, there are a few ways you can help badgers:

1. Go vegan and stop financially supporting the dairy industry! This is easier than ever, with alternatives to dairy widely available and plenty of support online. Order one of our virtual Go Vegan packs.
2. Write to your MP expressing your dismay at the government’s decision to continue and expand this horrific cull. Find their details here.
3. Support local badger groups through the Badger Action Network.