Badger deaths are investigated
The RSPCA is investigating whether some farmers have taken a proposed
cull of badgers into their own hands.
Four animals were found dead in a field near Crymych, in Pembroke****re
on 18 April.
Tests are being carried out on their bodies as there were no visible
wounds on the badgers, the charity said.
The Welsh Assembly Government announced a cull of badgers earlier this
month as part of a pilot project to stamp out tuberculosis in cattle.
However the location of the area and details of the cull have yet to
be decided.
RSPCA inspector Gemma Black said: "These badgers died in suspicious
cir***stances, but we need the public to help us pursue this matter.
"It may be that some farmers have decided to kill these badgers
following the Welsh Assembly Government's decision to cull badgers as
part of the campaign to eradicate TB in cattle.
'Protected species'
"We would like to remind everyone that the minister for rural affairs
has said that this cull will be licensed and monitored by assembly
government and that any other form of badger killing will be illegal."
A member of the public alerted the RSPCA to the incident on 18 April.
Dai Davies, president of farmers' union NFU Cymru, said: "We don't
condone this behaviour.
"Badgers are still a protected species and if any behaviour like this
is seen, people should call the police," Mr Davies added.
"As the minister herself said the other day, there is a proper
procedure supposed to be in place for this and we welcome that."
An assembly government spokesperson confirmed the badgers had been
passed to them for a post-mortem under the Wildlife Incident
Investigation Scheme.
"When the Rural Affairs Minister made the announcement about the TB
eradication programme it was made clear that the badger remains a
protected species in Wales and the conditions of the Badger Act are
firmly in force," the spokesperson said.
"Illegal action will not be tolerated."
Dyfed Powys Police said they were aware of the incident, but would not
become involved in the investigation unless the RSPCA requested
Anyone who may have information about the incident may contact the
RSPCA on 0300 1234 999
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/wales/7361861.stm
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The government appointed Independent Scientific Group on bTB spent
eight years evaluating the effects of badger culling on TB in cattle,
which cost 11,000 badgers their lives and taxpayers ?34 million. It
concluded that, ‘badger culling can make no meaningful contribution to
cattle TB control in Britain’.
DEFRA’s recent public consultation about a badger cull received
submissions from 47,000 respondents, ninety-five per cent of whom
opposed a cull. Despite all this, a badger cull will go ahead in Wales
and may open the way for a mass cull in the rest of Britain, too.
Contact the Welsh Assembly Minister for Rural Affairs, Elin Jones to
urge her to reconsider: elin.jones@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
DEFRA’s Hilary Benn and urge him not to sanction a badger
cull: Hilary.Benn@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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