top of page
Search

The True Toll of the Badger Cull

Updated: Sep 29, 2022

A look back at the last decade of the badger cull and those campaigning to stop it


Few wildlife issues have been as divisive in Britain as the campaign against European badgers (Meles meles) and their assumed role in the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bTB). With this year sadly marking the tenth consecutive year of badger culling, with a mounting death toll of over 176, 000 lost badgers and a government obsession with seeing culling extend beyond the promised end date of 2025, Badger Trust looks back at the campaign journey so far.


Whilst the first badger culls came into force in the 1970s, here we review the campaign activities and progress made since the latest intensive cull programme was announced in the southwest of England. These are just some of the many campaign events that have taken place



2012

Death toll: 0 badgers

The Conservative/Lib Dem Government pushes ahead with plans to launch a 2-year badger cull pilot, supported by the National Farmers Union, as the primary strategy to control bTB in cattle.


2013

Death toll: 1,966 badgers and counting...

On the 27th of August, a 2-year pilot badger cull begins in two zones within Gloucestershire and Somerset at a cost of £7 million. The first 1,966 badgers are killed in these regions.

  • The Welsh government decides not to pursue badger culling after a successful legal appeal in 2010.

  • Badger Trust is featured on radio and television interviews to spread the word about the tragedy already befalling Britain’s beloved badgers as the cull in England begins.

  • Wounded badger patrols are set up in cull regions, rescued badgers are rehabilitated and later released to safe non-cull areas.


2014

Death toll: 2,581 badgers and counting...

The government-led Humaneness Monitoring report by the Independent Expert Panel (IEP) is released which finds one in 20 badgers took more than five minutes to die, thus failing the humaneness test.

  • Three leading scientists who had previously worked on the Randomised Badger Cull Trial also denounced the badger cull as scientific opposition grows.

  • Wounded badger patrols continue in cull areas where volunteers from across the country walk public footpaths to monitor cull activities and rescue injured badgers.

  • An internal police review confirms that police unfairly treated peaceful anti-cull protesters and were conducting operations with a representative from the pro-cull National Farmers Union.


2015

Death toll: 4,048 badgers and counting...

The government says the pilot cull is successful and expands the killing, adding a third cull zone in Dorset central which sees the death of 756 badgers in its first year. The Welsh Government and Defra announce that badger vaccination will temporarily be suspended in view of a global shortage of BCG vaccine.


2016

Death toll: 14,934 badgers and counting…

The running death toll jumps dramatically in one year, as 10,886 badgers are culled in one intensive cull season thanks to the government opening up a further seven zones for intensive culling.

  • Badger Trust works with Defra Ministers and officials to ensure badger vaccination restarts within 12 months.

  • Badger Trust holds the 33rd march for badger protection, attended by hundreds of people in Brighton central.

  • National Badger week is launched on the 6th of October (National Badger Day) to spread awareness of the wonders of badgers.

National Badger week collage of photos of events and people and badgers

  • 15 Badger Groups hold events to celebrate National Badger week in their local communities.

  • Badger Trust produces a number of short films from the cull zones focusing on the work of the Wounded Badger Patrol Movement and raises over £1200 from an online crowd fund, to provide support for equipment for badger protection groups carrying out lawful patrols in the cull zones.


2017

Death toll: 34,471 badgers and counting…

19,537 badgers are killed this year as a further 14 cull zones are licensed.

  • Badger Trust works with ecologist Tom Langton to organise three seminars in Cambridge, Oxford and Cardiff to review key scientific research in the area of bovine TB and badger culling over the past 30 years with the support of local badger groups.

  • Badger Trust joins with the League Against Cruel Sports to organise a national protest march to Downing Street against badger culling, fox hunting and driven grouse shooting. Chris Packham delivers a keynote speech and the event generates significant national media coverage.

  • Betty the Badger makes her first appearance outside Defra on 25th August 2017, where to this day she attends in protest every Thursday.

  • The Mirror publishes images of dead badgers piled up as the cull continues.

  • Badger Trust works closely with Dr Paul Monaghan MP (SNP) to lead a Westminster Hall Debate on the badger cull policy on 27th March which is attended by more than 40 MPs, most of whom express strong opposition to the policy.


2018

Death toll: 67,405 badgers and counting…

The annual and running death tolls almost double after another 11 cull zones are added and 32,934 badgers are killed.

  • Protests in Exeter are shown on BBC News with 200 supporters calling for an end to culling claiming setts are vacant and badgers are being wiped out from their historic home ranges.

  • More peaceful patrols are scheduled for cull zones to help injured badgers and to inform the public of the slaughter taking place in their neighbourhoods.

  • Badger Trust co-organises a protest against the badger cull policy outside Parliament.

  • Badger Trust launches a series of grants to support groups in conducting badger vaccinations.


2019

Death toll: 102,439 badgers and counting…

A further 11 cull licences are issued, bringing the total number of cull zones to 43 and the annual death toll to 35,034 badgers.

  • Badger Trust quotes continue to be featured in opinion articles in leading national, regional and trade publications including the Daily Telegraph, Times, Sunday Times, Guardian, Observer, Independent, Mail, Express, Sun, Mirror, Farmers' Weekly and Farmers' Guardian.

  • Badger Trust and Wildlife Trust of Derbyshire mount a regional and national campaign aimed at MPs, Ministers, the public and the media to prevent a badger culling licence from being issued for Derbyshire. The judicial review was successful, sparing the lives of badgers in Derbyshire in 2019.

  • Badger Trust, Born Free and EuroGroup for Animals motion a complaint against the British government’s badger cull programme under the terms of the Bern Convention which protects wildlife and their habitat in Europe. To this day, this case remains on standby and could still lead to the government being found in breach of the convention.


2020

Total death toll: 143,331 badgers and counting…

Derbyshire badger culling resumes. Another 40,892 badgers are killed as cull zones are increased to 54 areas including Lincoln, a low-risk bTB area. Of all badgers killed, 77% were free shot rather than caged and trapped (the recommended method).


2021

Death toll: 176,928 badgers and counting…

Despite there now being 61 cull zones in operation, the annual death figures fall to 33,687 badgers as cull operators are unable to find enough badgers left to kill in long-standing cull areas. Northern Ireland starts to make plans for its own badger culls, despite the lack of either supporting evidence or effective cattle-based measures in place.


2022

Death toll: expected to exceed 207,000 badgers.

Bovine TB is controlled in Wales without culling badgers. Scotland retains its official Tuberculosis Free Status since 2009 without culling badgers. Despite this, Defra confirms that they could continue culling badgers beyond the promised end date of 2025 on the basis of “epidemiological evidence”. The cost-of-living crisis hits as badger culling continues to cost the taxpayer an average of £2,025,125 per year before the cost of policing [1].

“The solution to bovine TB is simple: Move to the better types of cattle testing that are available; switch to cattle vaccination; stop killing badgers; significantly reduce cattle movements from the current 1.5 million a year. The Welsh Government has invested in a more science-based approach including a centre of excellence in bTB research planned. The government has deliberately not invested in cattle vaccine research.”

  • Badger Supporters across cull counties meet in protest at local sites to showcase the number of badgers killed in their local area.

  • The 51st badger group is established and joins Badger Trust’s campaign against badger persecution.

  • Northern Ireland's badger cull is delayed by legal action and the collapse of the government. Evidence also emerges of issues within cattle biosecurity contributing to the spread of bTB.

  • Badger Trust, Born Free, League Against Cruel Sport, UFAW UK and FOUR PAWS write to Natural England demanding an immediate stop to badger culling amidst the ongoing drought.

  • Badger Trust campaigners protest in Hampshire, the constituency of the new Defra Secretary of State, Ranil Jayawardena MP, on his first day at work

Welcome to England 176,928 badgers killed here poster in Badger Way in Defra Secretary of State's NE Hampshire constituency © Badger Trust 2022 with logo


Lessons learned


What we’ve learned from the past decade of brutality against badgers is that Defra is obsessed with culling despite fierce opposition from the public, the scientific community, and some farmers. Quite simply, badgers will remain a scapegoat for the bTB crisis until the new cattle vaccination trials are complete and there is an effective way to target the primary transmission route – cattle-to-cattle.


We’ve also learned that badgers have friends across the country with the badger protection movement growing and going from strength to strength each year. Even in the face of adversity, the badger protection clan is resolute in the fight against the unscientific and unethical vilification of an animal who has simply done nothing wrong.


The numbers are in, and they are not in Defra’s favour. Even with 176,928 badgers now gone, bTB continues and only 15% of the British population support further culling.


Peter Hambly, Executive Director of Badger Trust, said:

“We will not let up in our campaign to stop the badger cull. We thank all the people who have provided a voice for badgers so far and we must continue till the senseless and ineffective cull is ended.
We were in Ranil Jayawardena MP’s Hampshire constituency protesting on his first day as Secretary of State for Defra. Ranil could start with a clean slate and halt the cull today. He should follow the evidence and focus on cattle not the badger. The badger cull is simply not justified and he could call an immediate halt while he reviews all the evidence and plans a more effective way of dealing with bTB in cattle.
The badger cull does not work from scientific, animal welfare or cost perspectives.”

Hope for the Future

Badger Trust continues to be inspired every day by the hard work and commitment of badger supporters who have helped to advocate for badgers since intensive culling began.


As can be seen from the timeline, Badger Trust supporters have been vital in raising awareness of the issues of culling and promoting pride in Britain's last remaining large carnivore. What is also clear, is that Badger Groups have been instrumental in protecting badgers on the ground by monitoring setts, patrolling for injured badgers and rehabilitating those who are lucky enough to be rescued.


Zoe Egan, Groups Coordinator for Badger Trust explains:

“It’s increasingly apparent that badgers are a ‘protected’ species in name only in England, but for the caring compassionate badger protection movement, many of whom have spent the last decade patrolling cull zones, sett checking and surveying, day and night, trying to save badger lives.


I urge the government to follow the science. And to follow in the footsteps of those who do count badgers as a protected species that should be treasured, not scapegoated.


The threats to badgers are numerous, and, for the local Badger Trust Group Network, it’s a never-ending battle to protect these iconic yet unjustly maligned native animals. With no end to the badger cull in sight, I urge people to join our campaign to Can the Cull today. Your county’s badgers are counting on you.”


[1] The average cost of culling was calculated from the latest Defra figures (which only cover culling costs between 2014-2020). Policing costs for 2020 alone equalled another £4,071,000. Thus, the figure presented in this article is a conservative estimate.



The True Toll of the Badger Cull

How YOU can HELP BADGERS NOW

​There are many ways you can help protect badgers and oppose the government's failing, unscientific and cruel badger cull:

​

Request your free Badger Cull Action Pack now

The pack contains:

  • Take Action leaflet with facts on the cull and how you can take action

  • Postcard to send to your MP (and one to pass to a friend) to call for an end to the cull

  • Bookmark to thank you for protecting badgers

Write to your MP about the reality of the badger cull

Need help? Send our dedicated cull postcard, or read our online guide ‘How to Write to your MP’.

Donate to protect badgers

As a registered charity, Badger Trust relies on donations from people like you to continue our work. So please donate if you can – every pound counts. And if you can make a regular monthly donation, you’ll help us to plan our campaign work more effectively.

100% of your donation supports our work for badgers with funds directed to where the need is greatest.

​

Join our clan!

Become part of our badger family by joining us as a clan supporter. You’ll be among the first to hear about our campaigns and make a difference to badgers every day of the year.

​

Get active locally

You can help badgers near you right now by getting involved with your local badger group.

​

Help us raise awareness

Tell your friends and family, gift a postcard to send, follow us on social media and share the latest badger news.

​

Keep up-to-date with the latest campaign news

​

Find out more about the badger cull

Discover even more cull facts, solutions to the bTB problem, what we do, and what you can do to take action for badgers.

Subscribe for news alerts

Submit your email address for an email alert whenever we publish badger news to keep you up to date.

All done – thank you!

bottom of page