A Yorkshire badger conservation group have said they are appalled by the government’s plan to hasten culling, dubbing badgers an ‘iconic species’ that must be protected from all who try to harm them – “from baiters, to planners, to politicians“.

Graham Shepherd, 79, who has stood as chair of South Yorkshire Badger Group for 12 years, spoke of badgers fondly. He said he is ‘enthralled by their lifestyle’ and recognises a need to protect them.

The concern for badger welfare grows after ministers have scrapped their plans to phase out the cull, instead developing plans to eradicate whole groups of badgers in specific areas – notably south-west and central England. 

The cull extends from Cornwall to Cumbria and has increased over the years since it began in 2013.

Badgers are criticised for transmitting bovine Tuberculosis – bTB – to cattle, which results in farmers having to cull affected herds. It has been a concern particularly in rural areas. 

Exterminating badgers will be done through targeted culling – also called ‘epi-culling’ – in areas where cattle are regarded as high risk for contracting the respiratory disease. 

Methods of badger culling include trapping and shooting. 

However, badger watchdogs have shown great dissatisfaction with the government’s reasoning behind the cull, claiming it is a ‘politically motivated’ move to gain more votes from rural households in the UK, and lacks scientific evidence. 

Mr Shepherd said: “First the government declared a phasing out of the cull, then said they couldn’t do it straight away. 

“The Labour party stated for ten years their opposition to the cull then in recent weeks uttered the same words as the Tories – that they couldn’t do it straight away. 

“Now the Tories are saying they will extend it. That is not a U turn, it is confirmation and perpetuation.

“Badger culling is wrong because it doesn’t work. Simple as that.”

The Sheffield Hunt Saboteurs are another group who have worked to protect badgers and other animals targeted by bloodsports around Yorkshire. 

Linda Mackey, 31, has been a member of the SHS for ten years. She strongly criticised the science behind the cull.

She said: “It is appalling. The cull has always been controversial because it is not evidence based.

“It has been proven many times that culling badgers does not create a long-term reduction in bTB amongst cattle herds. Roughly only 15% of the UK badger population is known to carry bTB and badgers are not even tested for the disease after being killed.

“Scientific studies which point to this fact have routinely been ignored in favour of the political agenda of the Conservative party. Biosecurity (or lack of) on farms is the real culprit for the disease’s proliferation, which means culling a minimum of 70% of badger populations is not just a horrific thing to do but also a pointless one.

“Recent polls suggest the Conservative government are extremely unpopular at the moment and some reports indicate that farming constituencies are beginning to show their support for Labour. We suspect the Tory government has become concerned about losing favour with farming communities and that’s why they have done a U-turn.”

Activists like Linda and Graham strive to educate the public on the government’s plan for badgers.

Ms Mackey said: “The badger cull has not made as many headlines in recent years. I think the lack of media exposure may have impacted how knowledgeable people are about it today.” 

The Badger Trust are a leading voice for badgers across England and Wales, a network for over 50 local badger groups.

Executive Director of The Badger Trust, Peter Hambly, has called the cull a “national nature scandal”.

He said: “The whole badger cull has been politically motivated as the science isn’t there to show badgers as a significant case of bTB spread. According to the government’s own figures, 94% of bTB spread is cattle-to-cattle, and the problem and solution are with the cattle.

“Powerful lobby groups have pushed for badger culls, seemingly as a distraction from the farming industry and government actually dealing with the issue.  The Conservative Government has been part of this push, despite the evidence pointing to cattle measures being the answer e.g. restricting cattle movements.

“The present government does not value nature enough – that much is clear.”

According to statistics over 230,000 badgers have been killed in the cull since it began in England in 2013. 

The Badger Trust said in a statement: “We are in danger of local extinction in England’s cull areas, and badger populations are not recovering.

“The killing of badgers must stop. It doesn’t work in bTB control – it never has.  Now, the government plans to kill even more with no end date, without the science case or business case to back it up.  When they can’t find the badgers to kill, you know we are near local extinction events. After 250,000 years of badgers on this land, we may be nearing the end of the badger in some areas.  

Their plight is to end the badger cull ‘before it’s too late’, and have a petition circulating.

Badger watchdogs have faced threats from farmers and shooters. 

David Hardie, a member of the Mid Derbyshire Badger group, described being attacked at night when on badger patrol. 

He said: “I have been walking down a lane at night with a high vis clearly marked Wounded Badger Patrol, I am 74 with Parkinsons, this is just one example of many.”

Mr Hardie spoke gravely of the ‘excruciating pain’ a badger must go through once being shot.

He said: “They do not die immediately but attempt crawl away.

“It’s a nonsense. If you read the science, read the research, it should become clear Bovine TB is spread by cattle to cattle transmission.”

The movement against badger culling has become prevalent in recent weeks. Concern grows not only for the welfare of but the local extinction of this celebrated and recognised UK species.

Ministers have said there is a plan to end the cull eventually, but have not yet given a date. 

For more information on the work of the South Yorkshire Badger Group visit: http://syorksbadgergroup.org.uk.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/

For activism and the petition to End The Cull visit: https://www.badgertrust.org.uk/cull

For information regarding the government strategy visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/next-phase-of-tb-eradication-strategy-set-out-by-government