General Chat

Chris I didn't say anyone was keeping one as a pet - it was just a comment, although a poster did say they had seen captive bred ones.

Badgers do not CAUSE bovine TB but they do SPREAD it. There is quite a difference.
So, if there were badgers on the IOM then in all likelihood you would see an increase in the number of bovine TB cases.

Merlin I would certainly like to see some actual figures.

My understanding is that bovine TB accounts for about 40 per cent of Defra’s animal health budget and that they are looking at ways to reduce this including handing more responsibility to farmers.

There should certainly be more testing and vaccination amongst herds.

thank you to Shane for the most wonderful picture :-D :-D

We do 'sadly live in a world where economics play a large part' but when they are the WHOLE part, that is when we have to look at what we are, and what we are prepared to lose, in this instance to have cheap milk. It's as simple as that.

If at the moment there is no viable alternative to culling ( which I dispute anyway) , then one must be found. Not just give in to it because it's 'easy'.

Errol - who mentioned keeping badgers as a pet??? Not me.
we feed wild hedgehogs in the back garden. The front gardens where I live are all open plan - no hedges, no fences, badgers free to roam.

There are NO badgers on the Isle of Man - however they DO have bovine tb. Google The Robertsbridge Group.

Errol when you thinjk of the amount of money paid out in compensation to farmers,surely that would cover the cost and it would diminish over a period of time. thus saving the Badger and Cattle from being destroyed.

I thought it was still illegal to keep a badger as a pet.

They are pretty vicious wild animals and should certainly not be encouraged into the garden.

As far as culling is concerned, it is the manner in which it is being done rather than the fact it is taking place that concerns me. Free shooting should not be necessary in this day and age.
It is pretty much accepted that badgers aid the spread of bovine TB but the worry is that the cull could lead to the displacement of groups of badgers which, in turn, will further lead to the spread of the disease.

Unfortunately, two other options are not really practical - vaccination and sterilisation. They would both involve tremendous resources, manpower and funding.
So I don't really know what the answer is and we do, after all, sadly live in a world where economics play a large part.

Don't start me on this one lol,

I am totally opposed to any cull. I personally would be willing to pay more for my milk, and I use a lot, to cover the costs of vaccination.

that's me keeping it brief :-) I could rage on this one for hours lol.

i am all for trapping and testing and a vaccination plan
i dont object to the infected badgers been humanly distroyed
but why kill the healthy uninfected ones to

i am very fond of british wild life
i would love to see badgers in the wild
though i have seen captive bred ones :-( :-(

Well Joy, always loved badgers - even been to a badger watch several times. However for over 30 years had fed hedgehogs in our garden and it was either 2011 or 2012 we actually had 5 at one time in the garden.

OH wakened last summer to a scream - wakened me and decided it was a cat fight, that was until he walked into front garden and found a disembowelled hedgehog. Only one animal can do and that is the badger so cute is not the word.
I am aware that in the animal kingdom especially it is normally kill to survive.

However, like you, I have been hearing for over 40 years that the badger is responsible for bovine tb. Why don't they either vaccinate the badgers or sterilize the females.

The badger population is known to be on the up whilst the hedgehog is declining rapidly.

Sorry folks but i just dont agree with it what do you think ??

M y reason is no way has it been prooved badgers are to blame for bovine TB

and besides that they are cute as :-( :-(