Badger cull in Somerset has Ended GASSING next!

Somerset. Reports are saying its been an epic fail. An Ex Defra Wildlife Unit/RBCT Fieldworker has said they have killed 800 badgers, 2162 was the target for the cull to be deemed successful.

The bill for policing alone must be astronomical, they could have vaccinated every badger in Britain! Tax payers are paying this bill, odd they cant find money for the NHS or our Nurses pay but its a limitless pot where killing badgers is concerned

How disgusting that this flawed plan took the lives of 800 Somerset badgers & lord know how many more have been cruelly killed as the cull has opened Pandora's box to illegal persecution. Worse still the pilots have failed in all their criteria -humanness, efficiency, & safety yet next year they intend to roll them out to 10 more areas.


The police have been far from impartial, acting as the NFUs private security firm, arresting peaceful protestors, handing out leaflets on the NFUs behalf. Yet unsurprisingly the only arrests for assault were on pro cullers!


Farmers welcome plan to gas badger families in setts
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/enviro...cle3887228.ece


Farmers could be allowed to gas diseased badgers in their setts, following research into alternatives to the shooting being used in the present culls.
The gassing of badgers using cyanide was banned 30 years ago because it was considered inhumane, but many farmers believe carbon monoxide poisoning would be a painless way of killing animals in setts that have been infected with tuberculosis.


Peter Kendall, president of the National Farmers’ Union, welcomed a decision by Owen Paterson, the Environment Secretary, to commission research into GASSING and other "ALTERNATIVE SETT-BASED CULLING METHODS".



There should be a robust investigation into NFU's influence, from Defra to the police.

What is this world coming too, what wildlife isn't under threat from the worst pest on the planet.

Hi Things never change,you would think that having Secret World in that part of the country who have been actively monitoring badgers and vaccinating them,Devra would work with them. In the 70's they tried to gas them with cianade,blocked them in and pushed the canister in,it was my first Animal Rights Vigil,but when the man from the ministry came up the hill,I accidently stumbled and he ended up at the bottom of the hill,I ended up in the local police station with several others,but would do it again,because they have never found proof.Gemini54

Well said. We are the only 'vermin' on this planet!

I will never understand how people can treat defenceless animals so brutally. Its people like yourself that restores my faith in the human race. All animal lovers must to fight to stop this current persecution, Paterson has said he wants 'hard culling' of them for the next 25 years!

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Hi unfortunately animals have no voice,we have to speak for them,but hopefully there will people who are passionate and will prevent this happening again,The men from the ministry in the end refused to risk there scrawny necks,so gassing was shelved,so lets hope history repeats itself,I have sent a copy to Secret World but they probably already know,and will plan what they intend to do,as they have fought this battle for over 25years.Gemini54

Hope with all my heart it is shelved but tbh I'm not hopeful, this government is so arrogant, they have ignored the science the electorate, they seem determined to kill the badgers whatever the cost whatever the suffering involved.

I fear the only hope for our wildlife is a change of Government in 2015.

Its a fascinating story, thank you so much for sharing. Secret World do a fantastic job don't they

How would the farmers know the badgers were diseased without testing them ?

Exactly! They don't know. In the RBC trials they culled & tested 11,000 badgers in tb hotspots, only 1% were infectious. Most badgers are perfectly healthy, but theyre seen as 'vermin' by many.

AND I think the question that I keep asking myself is this - are badgers passing TB to cows or are cows passing it to badgers - nobody seems to be able to answer that question.

I live in Somerset and I can tell you the farmers and landowners around the areas where the culls have taken place have been nothing short of shameful in their behaviour to the protestors. The marksmen as I understand it have been as ethical as they can be (not defending them in any way) but the feral agricultural workers have been acting like something out of the film Deliverance - it makes my blood run cold.

I don't live in Somerset but I have heard some dreadful things about the intimidation on the protestors. Very telling that even though police have been bias & acting as the NFU private security guards, the only arrests for assault have been on cullers! Members of the Ledbury hunt were involved in one incident

The police have behaved appallingly, these videos from Gloucestor cull zone are shocking.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXGmJ...ature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ppl1BLc7wsM