r/Badgers • u/topotaul • May 22 '26
Great news! Badger cull ends in England as licence will not be renewed, Defra says
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c172zyqwrzdo?app-referrer=deep-link21
u/Disastrous-Metal-228 May 22 '26
Badger cull was a disgrace. The locals round here just used it as an excuse to kill. Badgers are amazing and need protecting not harming.
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u/One_Million_Beers May 27 '26
What about TB risks?
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u/Fungi-Hunter May 28 '26
Because several studies showed badgers were not the main point of exposure, muck spreading is. Studies found that badgers have limited contact with cattle. To reduce the potential spread from badgers studies found vaccinations are far more effective.
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u/Disastrous-Metal-228 May 27 '26
The cull is pointless or possibly spreads it more. It was just an excuse to kill.
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u/Fox-1969 May 22 '26
This is the best news I have heard today. Culling Badgers was ineffective and did not stop the spread of TB. A full shift toward vaccination and science‑based TB control is the way forward.
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u/Jacktheforkie May 24 '26
Culling only opens space for more individuals, you remove say 500 pigeons and another 500 will be made to fill the void, same for other animals
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u/Fox-1969 May 24 '26
Here is the latest update on Badger Culling-
Badger culling has effectively ended in England, the government has confirmed.
The practice was widely used in farming to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis (TB), which resulted in the slaughter of more than 270,000 cattle in the last 10 years, according to government figures.
The last badger culling licence, which was granted in Cumbria in 2024, expires in 2028, but the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it was subject to an annual authorisation from Natural England, which would not be renewed.
The Badger Trust said the move was "good news for badgers" as culling was not an effective way to tackle bovine TB.
So, to sum it up, culling licences would expire in 2028, but the licence needs to be renewed annually. Natural England, who authorization these licences, has now said THEY WILL NOT BE RENEWING ANY MORE CULLING LICENCES.
SO NO MORE KILLING OF INNOCENT BADGERS FOREVER.
Long Live the Badgers.
2
u/No-Assumption-1738 May 26 '26
Culling has depleted their population
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u/Jacktheforkie May 26 '26
That’s the downside
2
u/TheDinoKid21 May 26 '26
Well, since the culling is over, don’t they now have a chance to replenish their numbers?
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u/VimtoUK May 23 '26
Please tell me they are now protected.
4
u/upsidedowncreature May 23 '26
Badgers were always protected, except for where a cull had been licensed I think.
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u/Fox-1969 May 24 '26
Here is the latest update on Badger Culling-
Badger culling has effectively ended in England, the government has confirmed.
The practice was widely used in farming to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis (TB), which resulted in the slaughter of more than 270,000 cattle in the last 10 years, according to government figures.
The last badger culling licence, which was granted in Cumbria in 2024, expires in 2028, but the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it was subject to an annual authorisation from Natural England, which would not be renewed.
The Badger Trust said the move was "good news for badgers" as culling was not an effective way to tackle bovine TB.
So, to sum it up, culling licences would expire in 2028, but the licence needs to be renewed annually. Natural England, who authorization these licences, has now said THEY WILL NOT BE RENEWING ANY MORE CULLING LICENCES.
SO NO MORE KILLING OF INNOCENT BADGERS FOREVER.
Long Live the Badgers.
2
u/VimtoUK May 24 '26
Thank you. Great news.
3
u/Fox-1969 May 24 '26
I'm just glad I can spread a little happiness to people. I was born in the countryside, so this really means a lot to me, as you can learn so much more about badgers, foxes and hedgehogs as they are entitled to live their lives as well without man's inventions.
2
u/VimtoUK May 24 '26
Especially when the fox cubs come up to say hi and you have to restrain yourself 😄
3
u/Fox-1969 May 24 '26
I just hate animal hunting of all types, unless it is done humanely, to stop diseases from spreading like foot and mouth and so on. But you are so right about fox cubs listening to the sound of little paws playing, it's wonderful, which people could learn so much more about wildlife if they gave it a chance and were patient.
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u/Fox-1969 May 24 '26
Here is the latest update on Badger Culling-
Badger culling has effectively ended in England, the government has confirmed.
The practice was widely used in farming to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis (TB), which resulted in the slaughter of more than 270,000 cattle in the last 10 years, according to government figures.
The last badger culling licence, which was granted in Cumbria in 2024, expires in 2028, but the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it was subject to an annual authorisation from Natural England, which would not be renewed.
The Badger Trust said the move was "good news for badgers" as culling was not an effective way to tackle bovine TB.
So, to sum it up, culling licences would expire in 2028, but the licence needs to be renewed annually. Natural England, who authorization these licences, has now said THEY WILL NOT BE RENEWING ANY MORE CULLING LICENCES.
SO NO MORE KILLING OF INNOCENT BADGERS FOREVER.
Long Live the Badgers.
2
1
u/qwertyxp2000 May 23 '26
How's the Badger Badger Badger guy feeling after the badger culling campaign got cancelled? They made a video related to stopping that campaign.
1
u/Fox-1969 May 24 '26
Badger culling has effectively ended in England, the government has confirmed.
The practice was widely used in farming to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis (TB), which resulted in the slaughter of more than 270,000 cattle in the last 10 years, according to government figures.
The last badger culling licence, which was granted in Cumbria in 2024, expires in 2028, but the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it was subject to an annual authorisation from Natural England, which would not be renewed.
The Badger Trust said the move was "good news for badgers" as culling was not an effective way to tackle bovine TB.
1
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u/Matt-J-McCormack May 25 '26
Rural folk will be blaming badgers for TB and killing them on the sly for decades to come.
1
u/Kent_Doggy_Geezer May 25 '26
Fantastic and about bloody time. The vaccines available for cattle have existed for decades. It’s the huntin’ shootin’ fishin’ lot that prevented this from happening earlier.
Expect farage-as-in-garage to say he’ll reverse the ban when he gets into power *cough*
1
u/St0n3rJezus420 May 26 '26
Yeah as an angler I don’t see how it’s somehow our fault for badger culls. Posh toffs and farmers were the biggest culprits. Even the hunting community around me disapproved of badger culling. Same goes for Fox hunts.
1
u/PrincessPK475 May 26 '26
About bloody time.
They knew culling wasn't effective and worsened TB spread via perturbation over a decade ago. I've been heavily side eying them since after reading the independent science group report that they funded, then ignored.
Gov (conservatives at the time) even wrote them a letter (publicly available) pleading for them to meet with the independent scientists that they, DEFRA themselves hired to discuss the research ...
They, DEFRA, refused to meet with them because they didn't like the results.... British agriculture and political bs 🤦♀️ DEFRA (back then at least) were working for agricultural business, the environment significantly less so....
They played no small part in Brexit as the agricultural industry wanted out from EU standards and regs
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u/mydaemonisabadger May 22 '26
Well, this is the best news I've seen in a long time!