(or how to become the UKs most unpopular Government minister) What have we learned since the English badger cull started approximately six weeks ago? Well, most importantly, what we’ve learned is that DEFRA et al seem to be incapable of telling the truth about anything. We were told initially that this cull was a pilot, the purpose of which was to test the method of slaughter for humaneness. Then we discovered that there were not enough monitors to oversee much of the proceedings. We were told the dead badgers were not being tested for bTB, which seems insane if the Government are really interested in evidence gathering about the disease, and why have a large target kill of 5,000 animals just to test for humanness? Surely a few hundred would have given the information required. Guy Robinson, Special Advisor to Owen Paterson, has said repeatedly that the lack of bTB testing on the dead badgers was because the pilot culls are to test the humaneness of free shooting. When DEFRA was asked this question, “Why kill 5,000 to test humanness?”, they passed the buck to Natural England saying they had licensed the culls to bring down high levels of infection in Somerset and Gloucestershire. So which is it? Was DEFRA really interested in humaneness, in which case a few hundred badgers would have died, or was that a smoke screen in an attempt to get the rest of us onside by making us believe they actually give a damn about the suffering they have caused? It would appear they have now abandoned the line that the cull was ever to solely assess humaneness. Perhaps we can be forgiven for thinking that the real reason the badgers weren’t tested for TB was because DEFRA feared that such testing would show minimal infection, perhaps even less than the 16% discovered in the RBCT. –( See more at: http://mikerigby.org/2013/09/27/badger-cull-2-update/#sthash.b6DhnnYG.dpuf) Next we were informed that those killing badgers would be highly trained marksmen, but it soon became apparent that those ‘marksmen’ were made up of disgruntled farmers, lampers and hunters, the latter, it would seem, who never miss chance to get in on any bloodthirsty action. The highly skilled part was apparently half a day’s training in shooting moving targets. Again I would mention that the monitors were only two to a region so that the shooters could employ their skills, or lack of them, without fear of much in the way of observation. The badger corpses were all taken for burning, and at no time has DEFRA released any statement about the condition of the bodies or how the animals died. We have also seen a significant number of shot badgers dumped on the roadside and elsewhere, clearly not in approved kill areas. This would suggest that either badgers are running off to die proving that free shooting is not humane, or there is a sub cull of illegal killing going on under the official radar. See more at: http://mikerigby.org/2013/09/27/badger-cull-2-update/#sthash.b6DhnnYG.dpuf An independent badger patrol managed to get one of the badger bodies, which was spirited away for independent autopsy. The initial report was that the badger had been mortally wounded, not killed outright, as we were assured on many occasions was always the case, and she had died a lingering death from blood loss. Although the badger was found shot in the cull zone, a spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “We are confident that the badger Secret World claims to have is not connected to the culls.” Now how they can claim that just beggars belief, but claim it they do, and they even go further in their attempts to assure us that every single badger killed died instantly. Well, er okay if you say so DEFRA, no independent expert can argue with that as the evidence has all gone up in smoke. Now we hear that the cull has failed miserably to kill the target number, (although Owen Paterson hails the exercise as a great success) and it is to be extended until November the 1st. Only 850 badgers have been killed, against an initial target of nearly 2,000 animals. He puts the small number of animals killed down to the badgers themselves, saying they, not he, moved the goal posts. He digs himself in deeper because he then admits he hugely over-estimated the badger population at the start of the killing. The number of badgers killed in Somerset represents 60 per cent of the local population. This falls short of the estimated 70% needing to be killed as stated at the start of the slaughter. In short the Government don’t seem to know what is going on, and if we continue with the killing some commentators feel they may wipe out the entire badger population in Somerset altogether. Undeterred, the killers have asked for an extension even though the experts have warned that to extend the killing beyond six weeks may in fact make bTB worse in the area and spread the disease to neighbouring fringe areas which up to now have been bTB free. In a sinister turn of events, Sky News uncovered a group of 14 farms where badgers have been illegally gassed. In an interview, a farmer, who wasn’t identified for security reasons, admitted that he knew of at least fourteen farms where whole badger families had been gassed by pumping carbon dioxide into their setts. This is not only illegal, it is also cruel and many badgers may not die quickly. It has been suggested that gassing is widespread practice and it may account for the much lower numbers of badgers than was originally estimated. The NFU denies that gassing is widespread, but instead of condemning it out of hand, their spokesman said if it had been done it was born out of frustration because of the low numbers shot and the aggravated trespass from anti cull. The NFU attempted to sanitise the barbaric gassing of innocent animals by referring to it politely as ‘in-sett culling’. Where will it all end? If the Government get their way gassing with CO2 gas will become a legal method of killing these poor animals. Whole badger families will be wiped out up and down the country if the cull is rolled out next year. Badger haters have used the cull as a green light to kill outside of the legal zones and wildlife charities are predicting an upsurge in badger baiting and digging out of setts. Meanwhile the dedicated people who have come from all walks of life keep up their patrols and their vigils. They fight on to save one of Britain’s most iconic species. They do it because they are good people, compassionate people who cannot bear to see a cruel injustice without standing up and trying to put things right. Hats off and huge respect to our badger army. They suffer threats and arrests and even GBH in their struggle to save the badger. If you cannot be an advocate for the badgers on the front line, please help by writing to anyone and everyone you know who may be able to put pressure on the Tory government to stop this insane and cruel slaughter.
Perhaps the most worrying report of all came from observers near the village of Carhampton who reported seeing a fleeing badger after hearing shots. The high velocity bullets must go somewhere, and the backstop in that particular line of fire is houses and recreational facilities. It would appear that the shooters are in such a race with each other - they can only shoot 140 odd badgers in this extension - that they are placing sett sitters and the general public in extreme danger from bullets fired negligently. It certainly seems like Chaos out there.
Sunday update: Farmer fined for filling badger sett with slurry PHOTO: Submitted by Pauline Kidner http://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/news/10685970.Shot_badger_found_in_West_Somerset_cull_zone/ Sources and Resources: http://www.careforthewild.com/press/latest-news/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybLC9qRzZf0&feature=youtu.be&ac http://www.channel4.com/news/accusations-and-bullets-fly-as-badger-cull-divides-britain http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/sep/16/badger-cull-shot-animal-picture
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