Badger Culling and Bovine TB: Welfare and Evidence

Badger culling as a bovine tuberculosis control measure is highly contested on both scientific and welfare grounds. The evidence base and alternative approaches deserve careful examination.

Key Facts

Over 200,000 badgers have been culled in England since 2013 under government bTB control policy
The original Krebs Trial found culling reduced bTB incidence in culled areas by 16% but increased it in surrounding zones
Perturbation — disruption of badger territories by culling — causes surviving badgers to range more widely, spreading disease
Cattle-focused controls including movement restrictions, testing, and vaccination are considered more cost-effective by many researchers
A badger vaccine (BCG via oral bait) exists and has shown efficacy — deployment has been limited but is expanding

Welfare Considerations

The badger culling debate involves genuine scientific complexity about disease dynamics alongside clear welfare costs. Free shooting — the primary culling method — has high wounding rates relative to humane dispatch standards. Snaring and cage trapping cause additional suffering. The policy case for culling rests on contested evidence of modest TB reduction, while the case for oral vaccination offers similar or better disease control at lower welfare cost. Welfare-positive alternatives — cattle-focused control, oral badger vaccination, enhanced biosecurity — deserve much greater policy priority.

What You Can Do

Support the Badger Trust (badgertrust.org.uk) in its advocacy for evidence-based bTB policy
Advocate for oral badger vaccination rollout as the primary wildlife-side bTB intervention
Oppose the expansion of free-shooting culling without improved humaneness standards
Support research into improved cattle vaccines and movement control measures as the primary bTB solution