Wildlife

Badger Welfare: Culling, TB, and Alternatives

Badger culling for bovine TB control causes significant welfare costs, with evidence for its effectiveness contested by leading ecologists.

Key Facts

The UK government has culled over 200,000 badgers since 2013 for bTB control
The RBCT Perturbation Effect showed that culling may initially worsen TB spread
Badger vaccination programs are deployable but have been under-resourced compared to culling
Bovine TB is primarily transmitted between cattle — cattle biosecurity measures are also essential

Welfare Considerations

Badger culling methods including shooting and gassing cause significant welfare costs to individual badgers. Wounded badgers that escape shooters may die slowly from injuries. Family group disruption from culling causes social stress and territory dissolution. The welfare cost is compounded by scientific uncertainty about whether culling provides the claimed TB control benefit.

What You Can Do

Support badger vaccination programs as a humane alternative to culling
Advocate for cattle biosecurity measures alongside or instead of badger culling
Support scientific review of culling evidence and cost-effectiveness
Donate to organizations monitoring badger welfare impacts of culling programs