October 2024

The future of badgers in England remains uncertain due to ongoing controversies and challenges around the management of bovine tuberculosis (bTB).

Badgers are protected under law, yet they are caught up in a struggle that pits their conservation against economic pressures on the farming community.

This much-loved species is famed for its black and white stripes and sturdy body, using its strong front paws to dig for food and perfect its hobbit-like burrows.

The European badger has lived in Britain for over 250,000 years. This means that once upon a time they lived here with wolves, brown bears and arctic foxes! The estimated UK population size is between 250,000 and 400,000 and the UK has roughly a quarter of the global population.

Sadly, they are still under threat of being killed with the misguided and flawed attempts to control bovine tuberculosis (bTB)

Why are badgers being killed?

The theory behind the government-led badger cull is that wild badger populations act as a reservoir for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) and that killing badgers will prevent the spread of the disease to cattle farms.

We understand the devastation that bTB causes to affected farmers and the wider farming community, but we need to find the right mechanisms to control the disease.  Badgers are not the primary cause of the spread of bTB in cattle, the Badger Trust has estimated that 94%* of cattle infections are from cow to cow.

Sadly over 230,000 badgers have been culled since the current badger cull began in England in 2013.* Another estimated 20,000 will be culled over the next two years, taking the total to over 250,000.

DWT Badger Vaccinations

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust (DWT) initiated a Badger Vaccination Programme in 2014 to offer a humane alternative to culling. Vaccination can prevent badgers from contracting bTB, thus offering a non-lethal method to manage the disease in wildlife.

The vaccination programme and badger campaign successfully halted the cull coming to Derbyshire in 2019. Disappointingly, the Government has since reissued licenses and the cull continues in Derbyshire today (2024).

Badger vaccination was only ever a short-term solution to protect this iconic species whilst we campaigned for the government to end the badger cull and accelerate the rollout of a cattle vaccine, and place greater emphasis and investment on livestock measures.

However, data and evidence gathered since the start of our badger vaccination programme shows that even vaccinated badgers are sadly killed.

On 30th August, the Government launched its strategy to use a scientific approach to end the badger cull and accelerate the development of a cattle vaccine. Despite this encouraging news, the Government’s strategy is not urgent enough. Thousands of badgers will be needlessly killed whilst the cull is allowed to continue until new measures are rolled out and take effect.

Part of the Government’s plan is to establish a new Badger Vaccinator Field Force, but this will not protect badgers unless the cull is ended. It risks being a distraction from the measures that are truly needed to support farmers and protect badgers.

As a result of these developments and with our current vaccination programme due to come to an end at the end of this vaccination season (October 2024), it is now the right time to shift our focus away from badgers towards cattle. We will focus on our campaign to end the cull sooner, as we call upon the UK Government to accelerate the development of a cattle vaccine and improved cattle biosecurity

What’s Next for Badgers?

At DWT we are now shifting our focus to calling for the Government to:

• End the Badger Cull: Prioritise ending the cull and redirect resources to research and implementation of a cattle vaccine.
• Improve Cattle Management: Increase investment in biosecurity measures that limit bTB transmission between cattle.
• Legislative and Policy Support: Push for policies that protect badgers and encourage long-term coexistence with wildlife.

Hope for the Future

There is still hope for a brighter future for badgers, but it requires a shift in policy and practice.

For now, badgers will remain in a vulnerable position until the government revisits its policies and aligns its strategies with the scientific evidence on disease transmission. Continued advocacy and public support are crucial for ensuring the long-term protection and conservation of these iconic animals.

*Figures reported by DEFRA