Badger Bovine TB Welfare and Policy

The controversy over badger culling for bovine TB control involves fundamental conflicts between badger welfare and farming interests.

Key Facts

Approximately 50,000 badgers have been culled annually in England in recent years under government policy
The effectiveness of culling in reducing bTB in cattle herds is disputed in the scientific literature
Badger vaccination with BCG is available and has been shown to reduce bTB prevalence in badger populations
The Krebs trial found that culling caused perturbation effects that spread disease in surrounding areas
Cattle-based measures including testing, movement controls and improved biosecurity are central to any effective bTB strategy

Welfare Considerations

Badger culling causes significant suffering through wounding of non-target and target badgers and disruption of social groups. Free-shooting methods used in culling operations wound a proportion of badgers that escape and die slowly. Vaccination is the most welfare-positive intervention that also delivers disease control benefits.

What You Can Do

Support the Badger Trust campaigns for vaccination-based bTB control
Contact your MP to advocate for increased investment in cattle-based bTB control measures
Support farms transitioning to badger vaccination through Badger Trust and NFUS schemes
Learn about bTB control options from independent scientific reviews