Badger Killers - Department of the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Recent News For more information on the badger killers and the culling trial visit: http://www.badger-killers.co.uk Recent News on killing areas for 2004 - 2005 season: October 2004 Proactive area of Mid Devon (Lufincott) - Now ended. Proactive area of South Gloucestershire (Wetmoor) - Now ended. September 2004 Proactive area of West Cornwall (Madron - Penwith) - Now ended. Proactive area of East Herefordshire (Bosbury) - Now ended. July/August 2004 Proactive area of North Devon (Putford) - Now ended. Proactive area of North Wiltshire (Poulshot) 2- Now ended. June 2004 Proactive area of East Cornwall (Lanreath) - Now ended. Proactive area of Derbyshire South Peaks (Lady Edge) - Now ended. May 2004 Proactive area of Gloucestershire/Herefordshire Border (Broadway Lands) - Now ended. Proactive area of N. Devon/N. Somerset (Tarr Steps) - Now ended. Recent News on killing areas for 2003-2004 season: January/February 2004 Surveying and bait marking of all killing areas has been taking place. The closed season will be here at the end of February, marking the end of the 2003-2004 season. November 2003 ***REACTIVE AREAS OF THE TRIALS SUSPENDED*** Proactive area of West Cornwall (Madron - Penwith) - Now Ended Proactive area of Gloucestershire/Herefordshire Border (Broadway Lands) - Now Ended Reactive areas of Gloucestershire/Herefordshire Borders (Blaisdon) - Now Ended (Ended early due to suspention announcement) October 2003 Proactive area of East Cornwall (Lanreath) - Now Ended September 2003 Proactive area of South Gloucestershire (Wetmoor) - Now Ended Proactive area of Exmoor (Tarr Steps) - Now Ended Reactive area of West Cornwall (Stithians) - Now Ended Reactive area of South Gloucestershire (Winchcombe) - Now Ended August 2003 Proactive area of Exmoor (Tarr Steps) - Now Ended Reactive area of West Cornwall (Stithians) - Now Ended July 2003 Proactive area of Mid Devon (Luffincott) - Now ended Proactive area of Staffs/Derbs borders (Lady Edge) - Now Ended. June 2003 Reactive area of West Cornwall (Stithians) -Now Ended Proactive area of North Devon (Holsworthy) - Now Ended Proactive area of North Wiltshire (Devizes) - Now Ended May 2003 Reactive area of North Devon (Hartland) - Now Ended Reactive area of East Cornwall (Otterham) - Now Ended Reactive area of South Gloucestershire (Alderton) - Now Ended Proactive area of East Herefordshire (Bosbury) - Now Ended *** November 2003 - Reactive areas of the culling trial have been suspended. DEFRA have announced that they themselves by killing badgers are spreaing TB*** *** November 2003 - DEFRA Operatives spray paint on a tree around a trapped set - TOO LATE - we thought they had been disciplined about leaving messages?*** ***July 2003 - Help is needed in the new Proactive area of Exmoor (Tarr Steps), Devon. Please ring the badger hotline to get involved.*** *In the Proactive area of North Devon (Holsworthy) in June, a DEFRA wildlife unit operative had tied a badger skull to a post upon a badger sett, with a note which read "Must try harder next time" and also included how many badgers had been killed from that sett. *In other areas, DEFRA operatives have made it hard as possible for activists to go about their duties; to no such luck. String has been tied between two trees with the desire to trip activists up (pathertic, yes) and traps have been tied to trees and stapled into the ground. Other notes have been found on trashed traps with disturbing messages. *So far in to the 2003-2004 season, well over 3000 traps have been damaged and or 'trashed'. That number is set to continue as long as DEFRA carry on killing badgers at a huge expense to the taxpayer. It is estimated traps are worth at least £50. Over the years of course, tens of thousands of traps have been put out of working order by activists. Due to the constant 'disruption' to the cull, it costs an average of £35,000+ to kill each badger... over £7 million a year. That sum is now rising each and every year. How you can help... There are a number of ways you can help save the badgers. Help is always needed in the active killing areas to help save badgers' lives. Information on how to get involved with stopping the cull can be found at www.badger-killers.co.uk email: stop_DEFRA@badger-killers.co.uk or alternatively ring 07818 858166. You can also write at: Coalition of Badger Action Groups (CBAG)PO Box 129, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 1RY Donations are particularly welcome to help our work. Please send them to the address above. For the areas of Cornwall/Devon, please call 07773572970 to get involved.For the areas of Wiltshire / Gloucestershire / Herefordshire please call 07763424892 or 07811629846 to get involved. If you have any information (ie sightings of Traps or Vehicles) please call the badger hotline immediately on: 07817 858166
This badger would be dead now had it not been for activists... And below the Badger killers in all their full glory...
Badger Cull Facts... In 1973, an outbreak of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) on a cattle farm in Gloucestershire occurred. On this very same farm, a dead badger was found and tested by workers at DEFRA - the Department of Environment Fisheries and Rural Affairs (was MAFF - Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food)). Upon post mortem examination the badger revealed a large number of lesions throughout its body, which tested positive for bTB (Bovine Tuberculosis). Since this day, this so called 'evidence' has been used to kill thousands of badgers throughout many parts of the country. The decision was then taken by DEFRA to kill badgers in areas around infected bTB farms using cyanide gas. In 1982, this method changed and badgers were then caught in traps and left until operatives arrive to shoot them. Within the last 28 years over 40,000 badgers have been killed in a failed attempt to reduce bTB. Since 1986 however, bTB has been increasing, including areas where badgers have been eliminated or where they have been shown to be free of the disease. The killing areas are divided mainly amongst the west country. They are as follows: A: Gloucestershire/Herefordshire Borders Triplet B: North Devon/North Cornwall Borders Triplet C: East Cornwall Triplet D: East Herefordshire Triplet E: North Wiltshire Triplet F: West Cornwall Triplet G: Staffordshire/Derbyshire (South Peaks) Triplet H: North Devon/North Somerset (Exmoor) Triplet I:  South Gloucestershire Triplet J: Mid Devon Triplet Participation in the killing trial by landowners and occupiers is voluntary. It is being conducted in 30 broadly circular areas (each of over 100 km) where the incidence of TB in cattle is high. Trapping areas (otherwise known as triplet) are grouped into 10 'triplets' and each area within a tapping area is allocated, at 'random', one of three following status's: 'Proactive' culling - where as many badgers as possible are removed (about 80%) in an initial cull and the area is kept as clear as possible for the remainder of the trial. 'Reactive' culling - where badgers are only removed from social groups associated with farms where TB in cattle is confirmed. 'Survey only' - where no badgers are trapped or killed but the land is surveyed to record badger activity. (Although there is evidence of illegal killing in these 'Survey only' areas by farmers, etc). The new 'research' is once more aimed at getting evidence to frame the badger. In ten 'proactive' areas, DEFRA will 'attempt' to kill every badger - probably 80% of the population unless there is disruption from activists. In ten other 'reactive' areas badgers will be killed if they have access to TB infected cattle farms. In ten 'control' areas, all badgers will be spared so that the effects on cattle of doing nothing can be monitored. The badger victims will be trapped in cages (where they will often languish and struggle to escape for hours), before being shot and bagged. Later they will be dissected, tested for TB and then incinerated. The 'Wildlife Unit' are a section of DEFRA who carry out the field work aspects of the trial. Badgers are killed by DEFRA operatives who have received training on the use of firearms just for the purpose of killing badgers. DEFRA will carry out a number of operations before trapping badgers. Firstly, they need to know if a badger sett is active, if they want to kill the named badgers in that sett. They use a number of ways in order to do this. Very commonly, they will place sticks over sett entrances. This will be able to give them a clue as to whether the sett is active as the sticks will be nocked down if the sett is in active use. Also, very small coloured pellets are mixed in with peanuts (sometimes corn has been used) if two setts are close by. This is to determine whether the named two setts' badgers mix together - pellets would be seen in the faeces. When DEFRA operatives begin to lay out traps, these traps are layed out near known active Badger Setts and runs within the named killing area. The traps are made from square weld mesh and are painted black, dark green or grey (the older traps are unpainted and rusty). The traps are normally are dug into the ground with mud and very often a large stone in the bottom. The trap door is tied open with twine. Most traps are normally 'camoflaged' (depending on how lazy the operatived are) with foliage or under bushes, shrubs etc. If you see any sightings of traps, then please contact 07817858166. After a few days, once the badgers get used to the traps, runs and traps are baited with peanuts (again sometimes corn has been used) and are left for a few days, maximum of ten days. Once traps have been laid out and pre-baited, DEFRA operatives untie the trap doors and set the traps in order for badgers to be trapped during the night. By law, badgers can then be left inside traps for up to 24 hours - sometimes in wet, cold and windy weathers - until DEFRA operatives return to shoot the badger. The killing trial includes a 'closed season' of only three months - February, March and April - where badgers are not trapped and killed. However, this is wholly inadequate, as many cubs are below ground in January before the killing stops and will also still be dependent on their mothers after the killing has resumed in May. Thousands of dependent badger cubs are expected to die in the seven-year trial when their lacating mothers are killed by DEFRA. DEFRA also purposely in some areas leave it late into June before killing, so they can kill many of the immature cubs.
BADGER HOTLINE: 07817 858166 Badger Killer number plates This is NOT complete, use it as a guide only. DEFRA also use unmarked cars and vans, don't discount any vehicle that is likely to be involved, especially if its in a killing area. Green long wheel base Land Rovers - (This is the main vehicle used) F523 RCV, K176 FTA, K728 RAF, L897 BDD, L898 BDD, L913 BOD, L109 BPV, L584 FTA, L585 FTA, L586 FTA, L587 FTA, L496 NJO, L193 ODD, N813 JCV, R473 DMP, R285 FRW, R637 NAB, R638 NAB, R702 VFJ, S128 AAF, S213 AAF, S214 AAF, S216 AAF, S218 AAF, S219 AAF, S726 AMW, S172 APJ, S184 APJ, S197 APJ, S837 BNP, S473 DNP, S82 EDU, S94 EDU, S304 EDU, S594 EDU, S754 ERC, S958 ETV, S537 FHW, S909 FTA, S560 FYG, S283 GHU, S274 GNP, S940 JED, S445 JFO, S931 JLG, S951 JRL, S953 JRL, S963 JRL, S473 KLG, S358 LBW, S368 LBW, S373 LBW, S376 LBW, S378 LBW, S380 LBW, S390 LBW, S483 MCC, S296 MWN ,S637 NAD, S420 NBF, S106 ODD, S107 ODD, S113 ODD, S114 ODD, S116 ODD, S118 ODD, S119 ODD, S131 ODD, S132 ODD, S133 ODD, S135 ODD, S144 ODD, S145 ODD, S146 ODD, S147 ODD, S149 ODD, S122 OPX, S751 OPX, S251 ORE, S219 RCV, S513 RCV, S514 RCV, S516 RCV, S521 RCV, S522 RCV, S523 RCV, S524 RCV, S525 RCV, S527 RCV, S528 RCV, S529 RCV, S530 RCV, S531 RCV, S532 RCV, S552 RCV, S602 RCV, S160 RDF, S163 RDF, S420 RDF, S248 REC, S837 RXF, S863 RYB, S851 UEY, S798 VGV, S926 VGV, S258 XAG, S518 XAG, S395 XAL, S309 XCJ, V124 DAE, V819 ECG , V657 ENE, V538 FEU, V758 FEU, V209 GWP, V946 JRL, V948 JRL, V953 JRL, V961 JRL. NOTE: Most of the green Land Rovers have the same colour roof as the main body (but some roofs are white) they may also have their rear windows blacked out. Green short wheel base Land Rovers - V147 EJT , V831 ERJ, V951 JRL, V956 JRL and V631 MAF. Purple Astra vans - M338 BRL, M339 BRL and M339 YTT. Blue Astra vans - P135 ONM, P136 ONM, P137 ONM and R948 WCU. Navy blue Ford Escort vans - S162 APJ, S180 APJ, S760 SCV, S761 SCV, S762 SCV, T243 AAF, T244 AAF, T245 AAF, T833 KAD, T397 XAA, T218 XMV and V655 FTA. Blue long wheel base Land Rovers - K35 PFH, K429 SFH, K925 SFH, K175 YDV, K176 YDV, K177 YDV, J278 RFJ, J279 RFJ, N953 DVR, N279 HUY, N712 KBX and S161 ODD. NOTE: Some of these may now be green. Grey long wheel base Land Rovers - L581 FTA, L582 FTA, L822 BDV and L982 BDV. NOTE: Some of these may now be green. Blue Nissan pickups - W52 LUD, W401 TDV, W402 TDV, W403 TDV, W404 TDV and W968 WRW. Red Nissan pickup - X801 MDU. Metalic Blue Ford Ranger Pick-up - (with blue or white canopy) - X785 AFH, X831 HVL, X838 HVL, X591 JRX, X776 TKJ and X658 XCG White Ford Ranger Pick-up - (with white canopy) - WV 52 FCL and Y 273 RFH Green long wheel base 'Safari' Land Rovers - S700 UTX, T121 CMK, M171 PNU and W161 PNU. NOTE: These vehicles are used by ADAS Wildlife Field Surveyors working for DEFRA during the initial surveying work. (ADAS - formerly the Agricultural Development Advisory Service)