Politics

Up to 62,000 badgers face death in this year's cull, leaked plans reveal


Tens of thousands of badgers face being killed in the coming weeks as this year’s cull is expanded.

Leaked plans from Natural England, seen by the Mirror, show the controversial shooting programme is due to take place in 16 English counties – with up to 62,073 of the creatures due to be culled when licences are issued.

This year’s cull will take place in 54 areas of Cheshire, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, Cornwall, Gloucestershire, Staffordshire, Cumbria, Avon, Hertfordshire, Derbyshire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire and Lincolnshire.

Another 10 areas have ongoing permission to shoot badgers, with insiders estimating about 3,000 animals will be killed.

More than 100,000 badgers have been killed in the cull since 2013

Some 102,188 badgers have been killed in the Government-backed scheme since 2013.

Badger Trust chief executive Dominic Dyer said: “The Government is now pressing ahead with the largest destruction of a protected species in history, which could result in up 65,000 badgers being killed across 54 areas of England stretching from Cornwall to Cumbria in the next few months

“By the end of 2020, the badger cull policy could result in the death of over 170,000 badgers since 2013.

“This could push the species to the verge of local extinction in many areas of England, which they inhabited since the Ice Age.”

Badgers are blamed for fuelling the spread of TB in cows

Cull supporters believe killing badgers helps curb bovine tuberculosis in cows, with badgers blamed for carrying the disease around the countryside, infecting cattle.

But opponents believe the shooting and trapping programme is ineffective.

Labour has pledged an immediate end to the “cruel and unnecessary” scheme.

A total of 35,034 badgers were killed in last year’sscheme, which operated in 40 areas of England.

The Government has claimed the cull will begin to be phased out in the next few years, with vaccination of badgers being ramped up instead.

Last month, it announced trials for an inoculation for cows will get under way amid moves for a vaccine by 2025.

Vaccinations could help end the cull

Cattle are slaughtered when herds are hit by bTB

It is understood cull licences for this year are yet to be issued, and the Government is expected to issue an update on its bTB strategy in the autumn.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs refused to comment.





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