Proposed badger cull - TB, cows...

[bunn]

Interesting blog here : http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/ourwork/b/martinharper/archive/2011/12/14/a-sad-day-for-badgers-and-for-farmers.aspx

There seems to be quite a consensus (in blogs that I read anyway) that vaccines (whether for badgers, or for cows) are the most effective & humane way to go with the TB problem, but I wonder if vaccine development is more difficult than it appears, given that it seems to have taken so long to develop one and we still don't seem to have a working vaccine.

Since something PWWBBIHHALJ said, I always wonder when I see badgers dead on the roadside, if they were really killed by traffic accidents, or if dropping the body by a busy road is a convenient way to dispose of the evidence...

Comments

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

I'm curious to know how it will be possible to eradicate the disease in a wild population of badgers...

Incidentally, TB in badgers doesn't seem to be much of an issue in central Scotland. I'm not sure why. Our badger numbers are very low in comparison, so maybe that's something to do with it...

[inzilbeth-liz.livejournal.com]

Nowadays it would be impossible to completely eradicate the disease without taking out far too much wildlife. Even if it could be got rid of in badgers, there would still be a reservoir of disease in the deer population. They did come very close to eradication in the 1970's when badger numbers were much lower but fears over the unpopularity of culling stopped the government going that extra distance.

Unfortunately badgers prefer the very places which are also best for cattle farming. I suspect you're on solid rock in Scotland whereas our Cotswold limestone is ideal for setts.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

They seem to be getting more numerous these days - I've been on a recent recording job at an old munitions factory where there are a number of setts (causing us endless trouble, because we aren't allow to even sneeze near the badgers...), and I've seen a couple of dead ones on the road in the last year, which is almost unheard of.

[inzilbeth-liz.livejournal.com]

I never used to see badgers at all but they're a common sight now.