Phil Pickin: Don’t blame badgers

Thanks for a well balanced argument and one that needs airing far more often.

The governments direction, so far seems to me to be a rather cynical shift of responsibility and cost, onto the farming community; and I think a lot of people must have, by now realised, that the current approach would never work, even if badgers were eradicated entirely.

In any case, what is right or fair about doing so, especially as this is a problem caused primarily by heavy stocking of pasture.

As you rightly say, don’t blame badgers.

Very sensible comments, Phil. I was reading today about the importance of good well-balanced soils to help cattle’s immune systems. Good soil = good grass = strong immune systems = low chance of contracting bTB!!
Killing badgers is just another example of scapegoating, and will benefit nobody. In fact it will probably make the situation worse!!

Good comments. As a longstanding Rambler member and regular walker in the countryside I am delighted when I come across any evidence of badgers. Sadly I rarely see the creature itself but I make use of many of their tracks on my walks. It is clear to me they are being used as a scapegoat. Culling badgers is disproportionate, publicly unpopular and a waste of money. To lose thousands of these mammals from areas of the UK may well be the death knell for this species but then we are losing species at an alarming rate and few in positions of power seem to care.

I wonder why bovine TB is treated any differently to any other disease that is a zoonosis? Maybe the risks need to be reassessed and a vaccine introduced for cattle.