Badger cull

[sodajoe]

What are people's thoughts on the proposed badger cull? I see Sir David Attenborough is firmly planted on the pro-badger camp. My thoughts, or rather, my feelings are one of deep sadness for the thousands of badgers that are going to be wiped out.

[redflex]

It is link to the spread of TB by badgers to cattle.
However some say there is no link and the cattle do not get TB from badgers. I like badgers it is ashame but there numbers are much higher than people think. I seen so many road kills I reckon more will go this way.

[Keith_Beef]

It is link to the spread of TB by badgers to cattle.
However some say there is no link and the cattle do not get TB from badgers. I like badgers it is ashame but there numbers are much higher than people think. I seen so many road kills I reckon more will go this way.

The BBC News site recently reported some academic research that cattle on farms with wide and extensive hedgerows are at less risk of catching TB.

There is speculation as to whether the hedgerows give the badgers corridors to run around without coming into contact with cattle (implying that the badgers are the vector of transmission), or that the hedgerows isolate infected cattle from non-infected cattle (implying that the badgers are not the main vector of transmission).


K.

[Goose]

Can someone tell me why the scientists are "unsure" of the link between bovine TB and badgers?
I thought it would be reasonably easy to be sure one way or another, I have heard farmers calling for badger culls as some of their cattle had TB, but there is no proof. If it could be proved one way or another I may be able to make up my mind on this subject as it is I dunno..


On a side note having over the last couple of years heard stories about human TB making a comeback, here and in American cities, the government has decided that schoolchildren no longer need innoculating. The BCG jab was stopped last year! I only knew as my daughter isn't getting it and it has been kept rather quiet.

[Keith_Beef]

Can someone tell me why the scientists are "unsure" of the link between bovine TB and badgers?
I thought it would be reasonably easy to be sure one way or another, I have heard farmers calling for badger culls as some of their cattle had TB, but there is no proof. If it could be proved one way or another I may be able to make up my mind on this subject as it is I dunno..


On a side note having over the last couple of years heard stories about human TB making a comeback, here and in American cities, the government has decided that schoolchildren no longer need innoculating. The BCG jab was stopped last year! I only knew as my daughter isn't getting it and it has been kept rather quiet.

I think TB in humans that it has to do with a drop in vaccinations, because it was seen to be no longer a risk, then this leading to a fall in "herd immunity" which allowed TB to come back....

A big vector for TB in Europe and the USA seems to be from travellers from regions where TB was never eradicated.

Paris saw increases in TB cases; one theory was travellers from West Africa bringing it back to a population that was no longer being vaccinated to a high enough level.


K.

[Tutchi]

.
A big vector for TB in Europe and the USA seems to be from travellers from regions where TB was never eradicated.

Paris saw increases in TB cases; one theory was travellers from West Africa bringing it back to a population that was no longer being vaccinated to a high enough level.

K

Only this week we have had five confirmed cases in our local Mosque. Can only agree that it is being brought in to this country from overseas.

Tutchi

[andyn]

This document may help you all:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/co...rols/index.htm

There is now a lot of scientific evidence that a cull will not be effective, so i dont understand why Defra are still considering it.

The woodland trust did a campaign a few weeks back, urging people to send their views to Defra,but that finished yesterday: http://www.woodland-trust.org.uk/cam...gers/index.htm

[Tony]

One thing I still want to do is to sit and watch badgers. I’ve stumbled across them and the like but I've never set myself up to wait for them to come out and just be there....

I'm not sure about the cull, but there again I'm not up on the subject. If it's needed (which I know is the main issue) I suppose I understand but it does sadden me to think of Badgers being culled...I suppose it's because we're not exposed to them very much, I can go out and see rabbits and deer etc and I can see their numbers, Badgers are much more reclusive though so there don't seem to be very many of them and they just seem like they should be left alone...

But saying all that..If it's needed (no matter if it's ultimately human intervention that's caused problems) then it's needed....as you guys rightly say though, that's the issue...

[Buckshot]

For some reason badgers seem to have captured the romance of the countryside. They've been given this cute and cuddley image. If you've eveer been up close and personal with a cornered one you'll know the teeth and claws are very big !!! (Of course that's the case with most animals when cornered)
It's certainly an emotive subject that's for sure.
TB is a notifiable disease, if it's found in cattle the whole heard is culled, if it's found in deer the men in white coats come round !
Badgers are not the only wild animal to carry TB, but they are the only animal to be protected, the rest can (and are) controlled.

There's no boubt that some badgers do carry TB, there's also no doubt that they share the same ground as the farmers cattle. What's not so clear is if the TB moves from badger to cow.
Personnaly I find it hard to believe that any animal infected with TB travelling over ground will not leave some trace of the illness on that path it's taken.
After all, that's one of the reasons cattle are culled when an infected herd is found.

Just my thoughts

Mark