Badger cull foolish (From Malvern Gazette)

Badger cull foolish

1:20pm Saturday 4th February 2012 in Letters

YOU quote Mr John Bishop, a farmer from Colwall in last week’s Gazette.

He said that “a badger cull had to be done scientifically and sensitively.

Infected badgers should be culled to have a healthy populations of badgers”.

The proposed cull does not fulfil either criterion. The healthy badgers are more likely to be roaming about and to be shot leaving infected badgers to move into new areas in their distress, possibly infecting healthy colonies of badgers in those areas.

Most research has clearly shown that such culls are a waste of money, and may make the spread of TB worse.

Most cattle catch TB from other cattle. More frequent and targeted TB testing of cattle would reduce the risk of infection in herds.

All reputable research into eradicating TB in cattle has concluded that the only effective method is vaccination not culling badgers.

The Government should be investing our money into research into vaccines not messing around with badgers.

I am delighted to read that the Malvern Hills Conservators will not allow this foolish badger cull to occur on their land.

RUTH PHILLPOT
Malvern