Wild Badger Welfare and Tuberculosis Management

Badger culling to control bovine tuberculosis raises acute welfare concerns - alternative approaches are being developed.

Key Facts

Badgers are a wildlife reservoir of bovine TB which causes welfare harm and economic losses in cattle
The UK government has authorised culling in high-risk areas since 2013
Studies suggest culling temporarily reduces cattle TB incidence but can cause perturbation effects
Badger vaccination with BCG is an alternative approach being expanded in Wales and parts of England
A single poorly executed snare or shooting can cause prolonged suffering before death
Humane culling standards require trained operators and independent oversight

Welfare Considerations

Badger culling involves significant welfare costs to individual badgers killed and to social groups disrupted by culling operations. The perturbation effect - where culling disrupts social groups and increases disease spread in surrounding areas - further undermines both welfare and efficacy arguments. Vaccination remains the preferred welfare-compatible long-term solution.

What You Can Do

Support Badger Trust campaigns for vaccination over culling
Contact your MP to advocate for expansion of the badger vaccination programme
Support research into oral badger BCG vaccines that could enable landscape-scale vaccination
Donate to wildlife rehabilitation organisations treating injured badgers