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Hi <<First Name>>
Before we look ahead to the coming year, we need to review what happened last year. In this newsletter, we focus on the recent badger cull figures released by the Government.
As always, this makes for grim reading, but we know that without everyone's dedication, these could have been much worse. With further roll out expected this year, large swathes of the South West's existing zones will combine, forming one massive zone.
More than ever, our badgers need heroes to stand up for them. Let's turn all those social media emojis into positive action for wildlife in 2018. With almost 100,000 of us following anti-cull groups online, we can make a huge difference!
The Government and farming industry hope that the general public will eventually accept badger culling as 'normal' but support for all the groups opposing the cull is growing. However, the more the merrier so if you've not sett surveyed so far, make 2018 the year you start!
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Badger cull: Time for a Christmas ceasefire?
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An article by Rosie Woodroffe published on December 22nd, 2017
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The NFU and farming industry are quick to point out the perceived 'benefits' of badger culling but this is based on opinion and hope rather than evidence. For a scientific evidence-based review, this is the article to read and pass onto your local paper, MP or farmer.
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England has a new festive tradition. In the season of mince pies, office parties, and panto, comes the annual announcement of badger slaughter. This year was no different – on the afternoon of December 21, when many people had left for the Christmas break and the parliamentary recess was just
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a few hours away, the government quietly announced that 19,274 badgers had been killed across 17 areas in seven weeks, with two cull areas still to announce their totals. Read the full article.
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The badger cull 'official' statistics
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The Government released the 2017 badger cull figures, just before the Parliamentary recess. Figures for the original Somerset and Gloucestershire zones will be published separately as these areas are running under new five-year supplementary licences.
In 2016, 10 cull zones operated throughout the South West. In 2017 this number increased to 20 across our region, and for the first time, culling took place outside of the West Country with a zone running in Cheshire.
Although 19,274 badgers lost their lives across the 19 zones running under four-year licences, this figure is nowhere near the almost 33,000 the Government had hoped for. Once again, four weeks in, DEFRA altered the targets by reducing the numbers for 10 of the 11 new zones and increasing for one zone. The Chief Veterinary Officer confirmed that 'adjustments to the minimum and maximum numbers were made as the initial estimates were not supported by evidence on the ground once the culls were underway'. Maybe estimating badger populations by the mathematical formula Pn= A.Sn.B0. α isn't such a great idea after all?
However, this now appears to be the standard way for the Government to set the targets. Calculate the figures based on your own formulae. Then, as you near the end of the cull period, review the achieved figures and readjust the targets. Hey presto, guaranteed success!
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The data published so far shows that of the 19,274 badgers killed, 60% were killed by 'controlled' shooting and 40% by cage trapping and shooting.
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Without the figures for West Somerset and West Gloucestershire, these percentages may change, but for comparison, in 2016, 52% were killed by 'controlled' shooting and 48% by cage trapping. Whatever the final figures may be, what is clear is that there remains a role for everyone; patrollers, independents, and sabs.
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This chart proves just how ridiculous the Government's claims that culling is 'humane' are.
Of 19,274 badgers killed, just 74 (by 'controlled shooting') were observed. Of those 74, 8 'appeared' to have been shot at and missed and 1 'appeared' to have been shot but not retrieved.
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This 'non-retrieval' rate of 12.16%, if applied to all 'controlled shot' badgers, could mean that up to 1,415 badgers may not have been humanely killed.
Once again, cullers have had to work very hard to achieve their kills. Last year the numbers for controlled shooting came in at under 1 badger shot per shooter night. This has remained unchanged this year. Cullers have, however, had to work even harder when it comes to cage trapping. Last year they killed just 0.04 badgers per trap night. This year's figure so far comes in at just 0.03.
Despite the Government's efforts to make life easier for the cull companies, this doesn't seem to be working. They're still having to put in a huge amount of effort that is, of course, totally unnecessary.
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A happy and healthy local badger enjoying a midnight snack in typical badger style ... NOISILY!
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Looking forward to 2018, GABS style!
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Happy New Year and we hope that 2018 will bring good news for our wildlife. With the snowy start to January, we took time out to look forward and start making plans for the year ahead.
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This year, Badger Sundays will be starting on March 25th and will be the last Sunday of every month until the final one on July 29th. Walking, talking and picnicking means that Badger Sundays are a great way to learn more about what we do and where we do it.
Last year’s Wounded Badger Patrol Tea Party was so popular that we’ve made it an annual event. A talk from the conservationist and tropical field biologist Ian Redmond OBE, as well as a range of children’s activities, meant that guests ranging from 9 months to 9 decades enjoyed themselves. The great bring and share tea and raffle went down well too! We’ll publish more details in February and hope you enjoy the winter sunshine in the meantime.
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Could you help Devon Badger Group?
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We were all very saddened to hear of the death of 5,555 Devon badgers in the 7-week cull between September and October last year; the vast majority of which would have been perfectly healthy.
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We know from the findings of the Independent Expert Panel after the first year of culling in Somerset and Gloucestershire, between 6.4% and 18% of badgers were likely to have taken longer than 5 minutes to die, meaning up to a potential 1,000 badgers suffering a slow, painful death.
Devon is at risk of losing this iconic, native mammal from large areas of the county if the Government continues with this policy. By its own criteria, 70% of all badgers in a cull area must be removed each year to gain the alleged disease reduction benefits. However, in both 2016 and 2017, DEFRA revised its cull targets downwards, as figures from the culling companies indicated lower badger populations in the cull zones than DEFRA had assumed. This shows that those who set the targets had no clue how many badgers there were to start with. Culling too many risks depleting the population so much it is unable to survive.
It is vital we gain as much information on badger sett locations and population as possible to try to protect them and monitor the devastating effects of the cull. For this, we need your help. We need volunteers to survey areas and record sett data and other badger signs; footprints, hair, dung-pits etc to help us increase our knowledge of these secretive animals. Training is available and all areas of Devon need volunteers.
Devon’s badgers are facing their biggest ever threat and the figure of 5,555 could double this year with the proposed roll-out to more areas. Wherever you live in Devon, the chances are you will either be in a cull area or close to one this year, so please share any information or sightings with us or become a volunteer, as it is only by knowing where they are, that we can try to protect them.
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With so much about the badger cull in the news at the moment, this section contains links to relevant press and online articles.
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If you're new to this newsletter you can always catch up with past editions here.
This page is updated monthly. If you've received this newsletter from a friend you can also use the same page to subscribe to your relevant area's mailing list as well.
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Social media and contact links
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Gloucestershire and Herefordshire links
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Groups and sites we like!
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Subscribe to the mailing list
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If you've received this newsletter from a friend and would like to receive your own monthly copy and important updates from Somerset Against The Badger Cull, Devon and Cornwall Against The Badger Cull or Gloucestershire Against Badger Shooting (and sub-groups), just click here to subscribe and we'll add you to the mailing list.
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Copyright © 2018 Somerset Against the Badger Cull, Devon and Cornwall Against The Badger Cull, Gloucestershire Against Badger Shooting, Wiltshire Against The Badger Cull
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