Call to end Badger culling after sites in Wiltshire have licences renewed
Badger culling has been in progress for over a decade
An animal charity protecting the UK's badger species is calling for an end to badger culling.
The call comes as two locations in Wiltshire have had their culling licenses renewed by Natural England - with a third in the county also approved.
We are not able to reveal their locations for security reasons.
The nocturnal creatures have been subjected to culling for more than a decade, on the basis that it would help prevent the spread of bovine tuberculosis among cattle.
However, the Badger Trust dispute this, saying the vast majority (94%) of bTB cases are spread from cattle to cattle.
Peter Hambly is the Chief Executive of the Badger Trust: "Badgers have never been a significant spreader of bovine tuberculosis, and yet the government has focused on them to a ridiculous degree.
"We think that's unfair. It's ineffective. It's an assault on nature and it doesn't actually help bring bovine tuberculosis rates down in cattle," he said.
Mr Hambly told us that improved biosecurity, less cattle movement and vaccines are needed to prevent the disease spreading.
He added that money needs to stop being wasted on killing a much-lived member of our wildlife family.
He said: "England is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world and we need to change that and we need to change that quickly and badges, not iconic animal that lots of people love.
"They're quite mysterious because they're nocturnal and it would be an awful thing to lose Badgers from so many parts of our countryside."
Natural England ignored expert advice
Mr Hambly revealed that Natural England had gone against the advice of it's own scientists in handing out renewed culling licences - accusing them of folding to the lobbying of the farming community.
"Their head of science said, 'do not cull this summer. There's not the scientific evidence for it to go forward to have any impact on bovine tuberculosis'," he told us, adding: "Natural England and the previous Government, through DEFRA, overruled this on the basis that it would upset the farm and lobby if they stopped."
He added that the trust feel the continued culling - against advice - is a breach of the protection of badgers act.
In response, the trust has launched a petition in the hope of taking the Government to court. They're also holding a 'Day of Action' on Tuesday 3rd September, and are asking us to contact local MPs to show them that we are also against the culling of Badgers.
Mr Hambly said they'll be heading to Westminster to protest alongside people such as the New Forest's Chris Packham, the wildlife TV presenter.
New Government wants to end the cull
DEFRA has told us that the new Government is committed to ending the cull - which was part of their manifesto.
It added that the devastating impact of bovine TB on the farming community is recognised and that they will work with farmers and scientists in an effort to eradicate the disease.
They say the Government will be rolling out a TB eradication package including vaccination, herd management and biosecurity measures to protect farmers’ livelihoods and end the badger cull.
Natural England said it considers all relevant factors when making the difficult decisions on whether to issue licences for badger culling, including the necessary legal requirements, Defra's policy and its guidance issued to Natural England.