Lady Scarsdale calls for badger cull

[Savhmr]

The scale of badger attcks on lambs in this story is pretty horrific. For all those that still regard brock as a cute fluffy stripey bunny wunny, think again:

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/30/lady-scarsdale-says-she-would-like-a-machine-gun-to-shoot-badger/

 

Not sure about the machine gun reference, but the sentiment is sound. It's about time that badgers were removed from the protected species list which was only ever meant to be a temporary measure to allow their numbers to increase. They're now a top rural predator and causing untold damage across the country, not to mention the TB risk that farmers continually struggle with. A petition to government is needed to get the Commons debating this issue. Common sense went out the window when badgers remained on the protected species list.

 

Professor Woodroffe clearly has no idea about the nature of many badgers as her proclamations are no doubt made from behind a desk in some ivory tower. Badgers eat a lot more than just worms! I was unlucky enough to witness a badger attack on a young and healthy lamb earlier this year and it was quite horrific.

Edited July 31, 2016 by Savhmr

[Walker570]

The act was originally to do with badger baiting but was hijacked by the tree huggers. That has resulted in untold damage to the environment. When did you last see a hedgehog ? They are the scourge of the grey partridge and any other ground nesting bird. I shoot over a relatively badger free area and we still have a healthy wild population of grey partridge. For how long I don't know. The act should be repealed and replaced by a properly worded law to cover badger baiting. The badger should be returned to the vermin list along with foxes. It survived before without any trouble as foxes do and numbers would be controlled by the same humane system as foxes are, shooting. I rarely saw a deer with TB before the early 80s, then in the 90s it started to appear and is now rife, particularly in the southwest, Gloucestershire etc. Even here in the Midlands dairy farmers are starting to ask that all deer be shot in order to prevent transmission. The tree huggers have a lot to answer for.

[TONY R]

Its as simple as this Badgers are like no other pest or predator that walk crawl or fly, they need controling properly or they start to become a problem. The lies about brock eating only grubs and wiggly worms dont stand the test of time, if its time to start culling them, so be it.

[LeadWasp]

The zoologist's response seems rather naive and misleading - how many lowland sheep farmers would 'unaware' of 200 odd lambs being still born in their flock and then left lying around as scoobie snacks.

[1066]

The ******* dug up the new laid turf in my garden last night . Not seen a hedghog in the garden for 5 years but over run with badgers.

[Hendrix's rifle]

I've seen 1 live hedgehog in the last 7 years? Badgers are everywhere round here, I could go to a golf course and see maybe 20 Badgers. I could walk to the beef farm up the road from that and see another 25 or so that the farmer wants rid of. He had 80 of his cows put down last year because of TB. They should be classed as vermin!

[bluesj]

Can't see why badgers can't be put on some sort of general license that way small numbers could be taken all over the country therefore stopping the need for them to spread so far looking for somewhere to live which would slow the spread of tb and protect other wildlife and live stock where its needed most

Edited July 31, 2016 by bluesj

[timmytree]

Things will only get worse, VHD2 and mixy seem about to decimate the rabbit population, my tally this year is in single figures but would normally be in the hundreds. Badgers and foxes will be looking for a new source of food.

Culling is the only sensible option but commonsense is in short supply when it comes to furry animals.