Stop the English badger cull

Natural England has so far issued licences to kill 70% of badgers in 21 areas of England by trapping them in cages and shooting them. They are planning to expand this later in the year. This is an all-out assault on England's largest wild carnivore, an animal that has been here for at least 40,000 years. Natural England does not even conduct surveys to find out how many badgers there are, and it is possible that in some areas of the country, the badger population will be wiped out, a result that some farmers do not even mind. The reason given for the cull is to curb bovine TB, but the scientific evidence does not support the claim. The cull is instead being used as pest control for farmers who find badgers an inconvenient presence on their land. Once a badger sett is destroyed, they do not need to obtain wildlife protection surveys or permits to build on the land. The 'culling' zones are a state secret and you do not know you are in one until they start killing badgers in your back garden. There is no kind way to kill a badger and no other wild species is solely hunted at night. Badgers are shy sensitive creatures who stay away from humans. Natural England is also responsible for badger protection as the badger is, believe it or not, a protected species. This cull is madness. It must stop.