Badger Trust

Crime against badgers remains rampant — whether badger baiting by criminal gangs, sett blocking by hunts, or developers ignoring the Protection of Badgers Act. Please be vigilant if you're visiting the countryside this weekend and look for signs of badger sett blocking. Signs include bricks, fencing or debris in the entrances of badger setts Remember the 3Rs: 1. RECOGNISE 2. RECORD 3. REPORT >> https://buff.ly/2Z1qzuR Pls share to #StopBadgerCrime

We welcome the support for badgers as Chris Packham shares his plan to end the cull with the Defra Secretary of State We call on the Minister to get a grip on the government’s bTB policy and stop the badger slaughter now. "This government concedes that the badger cull is ineffective in dealing with bovine TB. We urge the Secretary of State to get a grip on this policy, end the badger cull as soon as possible and introduce an effective and cattle-based solution that works.” — Peter Hambly, Chief Executive of Badger Trust Read more >> https://buff.ly/3YTzkFW Please share

Alarming increase in crimes against wildlife: A disturbing trend in the ongoing assault on nature Wildlife and Countryside Link annual report reveals that crimes against badgers rise, wildlife crime units are broken up, and sentences remain low This new report shows the shocking scale of the issue affecting wildlife across England in 2023: 1,290 reports of marine mammal incidents 636 reports of badger crime 184 bat incidents 153 incidents involving birds of prey Read the full report and find out how you can take action for badgers > https://buff.ly/3C7mcUz

Fireworks celebrations can be great fun for humans, but they're often scary for animals. Thunderous bangs and bright flashes startle and scare, and bonfires are risky for smaller wildlife, like hedgehogs and lizards, looking for a spot to hunker down. Read our tips on how to protect badgers and other wildlife during your fireworks celebrations: 1. Attend an organised public display. They'll generally be in an open space away from wildlife habitats, and any debris will be safely cleared away afterwards. 2. Avoid known habitats if you're holding your own event Steer clear of areas where wildlife is known to live and site your fireworks and bonfires well away from hedgerows or trees with roosting birds. 3. Build your bonfire close to burn time If you build your bonfire just before you burn it, you'll know that no animals are sheltering inside. 4. Double-check for wildlife before lighting your bonfire Hedgehogs and other animals may make a beeline for your pile of logs and twigs when you aren't looking! So double-check before lighting, and light your fire from one side to give any animals you've missed the chance to escape. 5. Clear up afterwards Don't forget to dispose of any harmful debris and fireworks remnants responsibly. Things you can do for next year: 1. Support low-noise fireworks Ask your local organisers to use low-noise fireworks for public displays. You can also support light displays using drones or lasers, which are a more eco-friendly alternative. 2. Support tighter controls on fireworks You can contact your MP to express your concern about the impact of fireworks on animals. Introducing a licensing scheme for purchasing fireworks, reducing the maximum decibel level, and shortening the sale period would all help.

A heartfelt thank you from our CEO, Peter Hambly, for being part of Brocktober 2024! Together, we celebrated the vital role of badgers in nature, raised over £4,000, and spread awareness far and wide. Hundreds shared posts, joined us for a Q&A, took on the Brock Bimble and rocked their badger pins with pride. Let’s keep nature a happy place, thriving for all! Visit our Brocktober page for more ways to make a difference.

Last week, we were thrilled to have Craig Fellowes MBE, wildlife crime officer and trainer, conduct a special badger crime training session at Hastings Direct! @hastings.direct As part of their partnership with Badger Trust for September and October, Hastings Direct's team learned about the importance of protecting these iconic creatures. The attendees had an amazing time, giving fantastic feedback! 🙌 We’re grateful to Hastings Direct for their support and dedication to wildlife conservation. Thinking of partnering with us? Join the cause to help protect badgers and make a lasting impact! Contact us today to find out more.

🎥 Our 'State of the Badger' short film tells the story of our first citizen science project to assess and monitor badger population health. Watch the full video now >> https://buff.ly/33yYsVJ Hear Dr Hannah Trayford, our Campaigns and Research Manager, explain why and how we're doing this study and our hopes for its impact on badger protection. Plus, our Youth Ambassador, Rachel Bigsby, talks to zoologist Billy Heaney about identifying badger signs. And you'll see lots of beautiful badgers too! 🦡 🦡 🦡

This week's #COP16Colombia conference is bringing the world together to make #PeaceWithNature Perhaps attendees Defra Secretary of State Steve Reed MP and new UK nature representative Ruth Davis can explain how continuing their war on badgers by killing tens of thousands right now fits with their nature plans? “Reed and Davis may be in Colombia, but badgers are being killed in England right now. This is where the nature crisis is, and they need to address the nature and species destruction in their own country. A quarter of a million badgers killed in just over a decade is a shameful record - the badger cull needs to end now. In Wales and Scotland, they focus on the cattle to stop to spread of bTB - better testing, improved biosecurity and cattle movement restrictions. England need to do the same and leave badgers alone. The government knows this yet continues to attack nature while pretending to protect it in front of international peers.” - Peter Hambly, Chief Executive of Badger Trust

CULL UPDATE Over 38,000 badgers are now on Government kill targets for 2024 New figures released by the government yesterday reveal that over 10,501 badgers have been marked for slaughter in licences issued under the controversial and ineffective intensive badger cull that started on 30 August 2024. Adding this figure to the expected kill figures for the existing supplementary badger cull means the total number of badgers marked for slaughter in 2024 now stands at up to 38,300. In addition, the government's astonishing policy decision to continue to cull in areas with badger populations known to be below 30% now makes local extinctions inevitable. Five areas have no minimum number set, as, according to Defra, “This is because the population estimates indicate a population below 30% of the pre-cull population”. Given that the intention of culling was to reduce the badger population to 70% in target areas, this shows a blatant disregard for the ongoing survival of badgers in large areas of our country. Finally, Natural England admits in response to our recent FOI that “neither members of the licensed companies who carry out fieldwork nor Natural England undertake population estimates” and “Natural England does not measure or estimate population abundance or remaining population size”. "Tens of thousands of badgers are still being killed when Labour knows culling doesn’t work. This policy makes no sense, and this iconic and popular native species must be protected now before it’s too late. Properly test and vaccinate the cattle to control bTB; don’t slaughter more badgers.” - Peter Hambly, Chief Executive of Badger Trust READ MORE including - tables of badger kill targets by county area - the revealing FOI response in full - government's updated costs of the cull - unlimited killing in new Cumbria Low-Risk area - how they are simply rolling over kill targets from 2023 to 2024 with little regard for badger population levels and the devastating effect on the species > https://buff.ly/48iB1jd

Our latest article explains the failings with the current system for cattle bTB testing and how better cattle testing could actually be the solution to saving badgers. Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) testing is crucial for managing and controlling the disease in cattle, but the main test currently used in England is not sensitive enough and is missing up to half of infected cattle. Every time an infected cow is wrongly identified as being not-infectious, a badger is blamed for bringing bTB into a herd. We urgently need a policy that addresses this failing in cattle bTB testing. Read more in our in-depth article 'Bovine TB eradication failure: the imperfect world of testing cattle' >> https://buff.ly/3zO7pNX Please share #EndTheCull