UK Badger Cull

I'd much appreciate if you could take a few mintues to give your thoughts and opinions on the UK culling of badgers by filling out my survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/J7CYJ9P

Thank you. :smile:

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 1

Futility

Culling badgers won't stop the spread of bovine TB, scientists and experts are all but in agreement on that. But as usual the plebs in government think they know better and go ahead with it anyway, and at great cost to the tax payer I might add.

Completed your survey btw.

Reply 2

joseon

Original post by Futility

Thank you.

And I pretty much agree with you.

Reply 3

DiddyDec01

Its not like we don't have many badger, there are sheds loads of he buggers. The whole point of the cull was to be an experiment. It is not an eradication, it is a reduction in numbers.

Reply 4

Futility

Original post by DiddyDec

Its not like we don't have many badger, there are sheds loads of he buggers. The whole point of the cull was to be an experiment. It is not an eradication, it is a reduction in numbers.

It's not an experiment, they've already conducted trials. The current cull is aimed at preventing the spread of bovine TB which all the evidence suggests won't work. In fact, in some circumstances, such as a cull taking place over too long a period of time, it can even exacerbate the situation increasing the spread of TB. This article summerises the evidence and outlnes why most biology and ecology experts oppose the cull.

Reply 5

DiddyDec01

Original post by Futility

I'm still for the cull, it may not help with the TB but it will help with the overpopulation of badgers. As beautiful as the badger is, they are a nuisance just like foxes.

EDIT: If you want to use a biased article here is some more http://www.farmersguardian.com/home/hot-topics/bovine-tb/plummeting-tb-levels-in-ireland-attributed-to-badger-cull/54155.article

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 6

Futility

Original post by DiddyDec

I'm still for the cull, it may not help with the TB but it will help with the overpopulation of badgers. As beautiful as the badger is, they are a nuisance just like foxes.

There's also an overpopulation of people, should we cull them too?

Reply 7

DiddyDec01

Original post by Futility

There's also an overpopulation of people, should we cull them too?

People and animals are two very different things. When an animal is destroying lively hood what would you do?
Let is go on and you lose more and more money or do you do something about it?

Reply 8

beccac94

Done

I think that until the EU allows the BCG vaccine to be used and an effective enough vaccine is produced which will also allows the animal to be distinguished from having recieved the vaccine and also having TB, that the cull should take place but it should also be combined with improved biosecurity and cattle management. Also research into an effective vaccine is many years away so something needs to be done as TB is rapidly increasing and spreading to new areas of the country.

Reply 9

ThePhoenixLament

Done! I spent way too long putting a report on this together for my biology coursework. I think we need a mixture of short-term fertility control and BadgerBCG vaccinations- or develop a safe vaccine for cattle that the EU will approve of. It is no more expensive to do than the culling by setting traps.

Do you mind me asking what your survey is for? It's a really interesting and current topic! :biggrin:

Reply 10

joseon

Original post by ThePhoenixLament

Thank you. :smile:

And I'm doing a project on the topic for my Fdsc in Animal Management.

Reply 11

Futility

Original post by DiddyDec

EDIT: If you want to use a biased article here is some more http://www.farmersguardian.com/home/hot-topics/bovine-tb/plummeting-tb-levels-in-ireland-attributed-to-badger-cull/54155.article

I link a 287 page document detailing the findings of a major study into the effects of culling on TB, as well newspaper article reporting the expert opinion of a professor of ecology, and you think that's the equivalent of posting an article making unsubstantiated specualtions that was published in a farming magazine?! :facepalm: