Save Our Badgers!
The coalition's trial culls have been given the go-ahead, in the face of scientific evidence and public opinion.
Bovine TB is a terrible disease, but badgers are more likely to be its victims rather than its cause.
The Coalition's plans allow for "free shooting" of badgers, will result in 70% of badgers in a 150 sq km area being killed, will damage local ecosystems and - given those numbers - possibly make badgers extinct in these areas.
Even if the cull is "successful" it will only result in between a 12 and 16% reduction in Bovine TB (average scientific figures) or approx 27% (Government cherry-picked "best" scientific figure) - and there is the well-documented phenomena of perterbation, where infected badgers flee the killing grounds, thereby spreading TB to non-infected areas.
Badgers can easily catch TB from cattle. It's much harder for cattle to catch TB from badgers. So who is at fault?
This madness must stop.
Michael Eddy
shared this idea
404 comments
-
Huw
commented
I wonder if anyone here has worked on a farm affected by TB. Farming has the highest suicide rate of any industry. A lot of this is caused by farmers having their land shut down because of suspected cases of TB, the cattle still need tending and feeding, but the farm can not move any livestock and has no income for 6 months after the last case of suspected TB in the herd. This can go on for years until a family is forced out of the only home they have known (and in many cases have lived for generations), out of the only way of life they have ever known. Selective culling is the only proven way of reducing TB, cull the badgers know.
-
Anonymous
commented
The killing of badgers in order to protect the farming industry is not acceptable.A sea change in the way we live is required ultimately. If we endorse cruelty we also endorse our own demise but for me that is not the ultimate concern. I love these creatures... no, they are NOT "cuddly" but they are part of the natural world that surrounds us and it is worth protecting.
-
Zoe Bremer
commented
Why can't DEFRA insist on all cattle being vaccinated against TB in the first place? This is the norm in many European countries. Badgers could also be trapped and vaccinated. Since all people now get vaccinated the problem of serious TB infection should not arise. I caught it from untreated milk after having my BCG but it didn't do any lasting harm, just gave me a nasty cough for a few weeks.
-
Carl Holmes
commented
what a load of shit animals are far better than us humans and i work hard and i am in favour of goverment capping benifits actually i believe the cap is too high and before you say it im not rich im on basic wage but dont believe in someone sitting on the fat arse getting more money than the likes of me working hard and paying tax i hope the goverment campaign against the goverments weakening of enviroment laws george osbourne needs ousted
-
Anonymous
commented
Badgers are not more important than human beings and what's being done to the poor, disabled, unemployed, students and everyone else in this country who are suffering from the policies of this disaster of a government. With a moribund and sclerotic political opposition, the con-dems are destroying this country with their absolute incompetence and heartlessness, and as much as I am against cruelty to animals, I think that it is a waste of 38degrees to use it for animal welfare when the government is destroying the welfare of the PEOPLE of this country. Sorry, but there it is.
-
Anonymous
commented
Badger Trust still asking for signatures on 38degrees campaign petition site. I'ts growing slowly and still active for any one who reads the Badger Trust site and realises that the scientists did say badgers culling is not beneficial to controlling BTB and other methods must be used ie vaccination is a start not shooting in the head or worse still maiming and left to die if it runs off and goes to ground. This opens up all kinds of opportunities for bad practice in the dark.
-
Anonymous
commented
Why not compromise and shoot the badgers with drugs to immunise them against TB. I would rather my tax money be given to the pharmacuetical conglomerates than the arms industry.
Remember this whole badger issue is just a distraction from that which MPs want you to overlook.
Can we also have a list of all the MPs that voted in favour of the cull and one of the newspapers not in the governments pocket please publish it. Name and shame them.
-
Ian
commented
MICHAEL EDDY, please address the points raised by Foxfire and Dave Spart.
As an animal lover, my knee-jerk reaction is to support your campaign, but as a practising conservationist, I understand that on occasions we must 'manage' species populations.
You must believe yourself well enough informed to initiate this campaign, so please disseminate that information (with references, of course). -
Melanie Hopkins
commented
Put guarenteed 'Badger-Friendly' milk on the supermarket shelves, even at a premium price and I am sure that the great British public will vote with their pockets against this cull.
i am sure that most farmers realise this - even the threat of such a product could end this cull. If you don't want the badger cull write to the supermarkets and demand 'Badger Friendly' milk now!
-
RedRuss commented
Oh for heaven's sake, comments like that are what I might expect from a teenage boy Sam! If you can't construct a proper argument, you should be doing your homework not messing about on a computer.
-
sam
commented
BADGERS ARE AS BAD AS JEWS
-
Goflyfalco
commented
Gimme a break! "Save our Democracy" comes before "save our Badgers"!
Vote for a referendum on membership of the EU for goodness sake. -
Foxfire
commented
Your statement that Badgers are likely to catch Bovine TB from cattle more like than the other way round is not true.
In order for us to be taken seriously we must get all the facts right, as otherwise our actions will be fruitless and not taken seriously
The fact is,that humans,some millions of years ago, passed the TB virus on to Bovine's, when we started to domesticate animals. The TB strain changed into a new strain now known as Bovine TB. The strain affects many other wildlife too, not just Badgers, but also Deer. Badgers can retain the TB virus without it necessarily resulting in death, hence in can carry the strain around for some considerable time1.The government should replace the 4 year testing period with annual tests
2. In areas of strong infestation of the TB strain, testing should be at least every 6 months
3. All Bovine should be vaccinated (Vaccinating Badgers is impossible talks)
4. New tests to determine between vaccination strain and actual infection should be implied.
5.Farmers should receive financial support in dealing with Bovine TB
6. Stop importation of live Bovine or carcasses from Ireland with immediate effect
7. Stop Import of any Bovine for a period of time from Europe or USA, as testing is not well controlled or adhered too, in particular eastern European regimes
8. Test Abattoirs more rigorously, as there is a weak point -
pensive prognosticator
commented
As ignorant as the witch trials.
Ecological damage on the scale being proposed would become unlawful under the campaign to criminalise ecocide which you might like to consider voting for. Its headed up:
Make Ecocide the 5th international crime against peace www.eradicatingecocide.com/thesolution/
-
Joy
commented
Would you also vote in the Object to the National Planning Policy thread? If this proposed sweeping change to planniglaws isnt halted until a better balanced proposal comes out of Government you may find areas of land which include badger setts being trashed for development. There is only until the 17th October to get objections in to the Government. If 38 Degrees wont take this up vote through the National Trust, the CPRE, the Daily Telegraph, direct to the Government on e-petitions.
I have voted for this campaign- cos I agree- but the proposed planning changes are another attack - on their habitats this time
-
ohaah
commented
I hope badgers introduce a coalition cull to help control the BS (Bull S***) disease they all have, thier stupid suggestions have certainly infected my brain.
-
Anne Taylor
commented
Badgers are legally protected. Isn't the coalition breaking the law? Their proposals certainly are not reached democratically.
-
Chris Birkett
commented
I have listened to a numerous discussions concerning the suggested culing of Badgers as a way of preventing Bovine TB. It would appear that the scientific community do not believe that such a widespread cull of this sort would have the solve the problem. Hence I do not believe that such a devastating action should be undertaken until the consequences are fully understood.
-
MJ
commented
PS
Meant to ask do you feed the rats in your garden too? - they are also fascinating animals. -
MJ
commented
Why are they so hungry - nothing left for them to eat in the wild due to overpopulation in that particular area perhaps?
Too many people interfering with what should be a wild animal?
Why do you think they have no TB? - badgers can survive it and breed for up to 8 years while peeing [ not sneezing] the bacteria out.
