I HOPE Defra officials think long and hard before caving in to the NFU's demand for a badger cull. After all, the government has been told by scientific bodies that a cull would be a disaster - and could even make the situation worse.
The problem seems to be that farmers (not all) are using the badger as a scapegoat.
They don't appear to want to face the fact that it's cattle-to-cattle transfer and not badgers causing the problem.
Okay so I'm just Joe public, but when I read conflicting reports about bovine TB, I need to know why?
The NFU is desperate to buy time for its members. Moreover the government is still undecided about a cull, despite scientific advice, because although it has to be shown to be defending the farmers, it also have to take on board public concerns about a cull.
However going against scientific facts would not be a wise move by government officials, who have so far done very little to demonstrate their commitment to the ban on hunting.
Here are some facts I've just found out about! Cattle can pick up TB by living in close proximity to other cattle infected with the disease and so breathe the spores into their lungs.
Badgers (like us) first pick up the infection in the throat and gut. It makes sense that badgers turning over cow pats (from infected cattle) looking for worms and grubs, can then go on to develop the disease.
Farmers state that badgers spread the disease to cattle because cattle feed on grass that may have been defecated on by infected badgers.
But if cattle only get TB in the lungs, it seems fairly unlikely that their eating grass with residues of badger urine or poo on it, would make them ill.
All in all, it would seem cattle are the “main” cause of spreading this terrible disease, so surely more thought should be put into better husbandry and cattle testing.
A photo I took showing cattle in filthy cattle yard. One cow has a massive sore on her rump. Trading Standards ignored my requests for something to be done for these animals.
I also believe better welfare for cattle and reducing the stress cows endure, would also go some way to strengthen the immune systems of these animals.
Setting up the badger would not only be very stupid, not to mention costly for the tax payer - but would also alienate a great many people that would see Defra bowing to pressure from farmers while ignoring the taypayer-funded experts who war that wiping out badgers from large area's would only make matters worse.
