Most people know that from 1977 on (still occasionally) I am an exotics wildlife consultant for UK police forces. In that capacity I had to talk to shooters and game keepers in order to complete reports.
It was via the conversations that I learn all the ins-and-outs of night time shooting. It was also from all of this that made me warn, in the 1990s, that the UK fox population was in decline -in some areas foxes had not been seen for 6-9 months and once any turning up were killed ....no more. I asked how they were making their money then? "Oh, no foxes the rabbit population booms and farmers don't want that so we shoot a ton of them and present them to the farmer who can see we've done our job and we get paid."
I also heard of farmers and estate owners paying "good money to snuff badgers" To which was added "on the quiet though". Now why, if these people knew I worked with police forces would they tell me this? Because they knew private land and no evidence and no one really interested in investigating meant it was all done scot free. There are things that I have heard and been told that concern me.
We are always given the number of 250,000 badgers having been killed in culls and after so many years I doubt that figure. Shooters brag about the cull payments having helped purchase houses and expensive lifestyles. DEFRA:
"1.3 Costs and benefits of extending the current approach to a further 11 intensive culling areas
"Each new cull area is expected to deliver net benefits of between -£0.49 million and -£0.04 million per area, with a central estimate of approximately -£0.16 million. This includes costs accrued over 4 years of culling and benefits accrued over 11 years in line with results from the Randomised Badger Control Trial (RBCT).
"The future costs to UK government are estimated at £0.33 million per area over 4 years.
"Previous versions of the VfM analysis included costs incurred by farmers who are prepared to use their own money to fund culls. These have not been available for this and the previous version of the VfM analysis and are therefore excluded.
"The total monetised benefits are estimated to be around £0.01 million and £0.29 million per area over eleven years, with a central estimate of £0.16 million. This is based on the results of the RBCT."
They like to say benefits and give percentages to hide things as officials always do. How much does bovine TB cost the government?
"bTB eradication costs UK taxpayers around £150 million per annum, with additional costs falling to the cattle industry. More information can be found at TB hub - Bovine TB Advice & Tuberculosis Information for Cattle Farmers."
https://aphascience.blog.gov.uk/2023/03/24/tb-day-2023/
One shooter bemoaned the fact that "You get nothing for the nippers (cubs)"
Badgers in the UK are recognised by zoologists across Europe and elsewhere as "scapegoat species". Protected in 1971 and not long after "kill them!" So people are making good money and there is very limited financial burden on the farmer. Remember that badger clans that have been monitored for years with no sign of TB in tests and nowhere near cattle were also slaughtered.
The figure of 250,000 does not include many cubs -bodies are bagged up and disposed of. Watching the talk online and hearing back from other interested parties I was told by one that "People don't care. The badger huggers would shit a brick -250k is a laugh!" So how many seems to be a likely number?
300,000
which is far over half the badger population and we have no idea how many cubs because "they don't count". If we consider that an estimated 100,000 die on UK roads then it can be seen that the UK badger population is on its way to extinction -which it avoided after centuries of hunting. Yes, hunting never killed off badgers when they were not protected but as a protected species they are being openly slaughtered.
Now we know that the UK government and politicians in voting farmers pockets have declared badgers are to be eradicated (exterminated) from large areas of England. Where are the protests -perhaps the latest Eastenders plot is a bit too gripping for asses to leave seats?
We are seeing foxes heading for extinction (again) and badgers along with them. Are the "animal loving British public" seriously just going to sit there and let two more species go extinct like others also on the verge?
Yes.
I called the UK "The Blood Red Island" because it has seen species -birds, mammals, fish- all go extinct and even those brought to the UK to 'reintroduce' the species are being killed off. A pro hunt government fishing for votes and more has led our wildlife to extinction road and they don't care because they are only in it for the money.
Sit on your asses and watch TV or the internet and don't worry your vacant little minds over it -there will still be pizza and beer.
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