Badger culling to control bovine tuberculosis in cattle is one of the most controversial wildlife management decisions in the UK, with significant welfare implications.
Badger culling raises overlapping welfare and policy concerns. Badgers shot in free-shooting culls may not be killed immediately, with studies estimating significant proportions take more than five minutes to die — a welfare harm comparable to other controversial wildlife management practices. The policy rationale — reducing bTB in cattle — is contested, with evidence suggesting culling may also cause perturbation that disperses infected badgers. Cattle welfare is also implicated: farms affected by bTB face herd restrictions and testing that impose welfare costs on cattle. The weight of welfare and scientific evidence increasingly favours badger vaccination combined with improved cattle biosecurity over lethal culling.