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Bill Oddie Takes Badger Cull Complaint From The Humane Society To Parliament

Bill Oddie Badger Cull Parliament

The Huffington Post UK   First Posted: 28/02/2012 11:35 Updated: 29/04/2012 10:12

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Naturalist Bill Oddie took a man dressed up as a badger to Westminster on Tuesday morning to protest at the government's decision to cull the animals.

Ministers have given the go-ahead to a series of trial culls in England and Wales aimed at curbing TB among cows.

Badgers are thought to be the main reason why the disease is spreading among cattle herds. In most cases badgers culled in the trials will be shot. Animal welfare activists have vowed to continue their campaign against a cull.

The government insists there's strong scientific evidence to support the cull. Agriculture minister Jim Paice outlined DEFRA's position on HuffPost UK earlier this month.

Labour oppose the cull, saying there isn't enough evidence to show it would be effective, and will most likely lead to protests. Labour MP Mary Creagh outlined her party's position in this HuffPost blog post.

See also: The arguments for and against the badger cull

Oddie was representing The Humane Society International UK, which believes the cull violates a European Treaty. They claim the Bern Convention is being broken because, among other things, alternative strategies for controlling TB in cattle and badgers have not been sufficiently explored.

The Humane Society published a YouGov poll on Tuesday which suggest 40 percent of respondents oppose the cull. A third were in favour, with the rest saying they didn't know.

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Naturalist Bill Oddie took a man dressed up as a badger to Westminster on Tuesday morning to protest at the government's decision to cull the animals. Ministers have given the go-ahead to a serie...
Naturalist Bill Oddie took a man dressed up as a badger to Westminster on Tuesday morning to protest at the government's decision to cull the animals. Ministers have given the go-ahead to a serie...
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0 Fans
06:14 PM on 02/29/2012
i've posted 2 comments but you wont put my side over, whats the point of asking for comments just to put the ones you want on. 1 sided Huff post. SHAME ON YOU BILL ODDIE
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Mike36wilts
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07:14 PM on 02/28/2012
Labour supports the bloodsports lobby group BASC which is actually 'training' people to kill badgers with high powered rifles. Labour needs to stop supporting all bloodsports.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
adidasmmxx
No likey? Not bovvered !
52 Fans
04:44 PM on 02/28/2012
"The rest didnt know " -about sums it up doesnt it ? wouldnt know their a*** from their elbow ..
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landjuliana
0 Fans
04:43 PM on 02/28/2012
I love badgers and have a set that passes regularly through my garden. They are beautiful but they are also a problem here in Wales. Young lambs are literally torn out of their mothers by badgers with their heads severed clean off. I was shocked to discover that badgers do this horror! Sadly they are full of disease but there should be a more humane way of preventing TB spreading than killing these amazing animals.
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chas9876
11 Fans
05:21 PM on 02/28/2012
I've never heard such a load of rubbish in all my life! Lambs torn out of their mothers by badgers?
Who told you that - the local badger digger? They are not full of disease they carry TB which has been passed to them by the cattle. Can I suggest you go the library and get a good book on badgers instead of listening to bollicks?
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landjuliana
0 Fans
06:01 PM on 02/28/2012
Sadly it happens. Badgers will eat just about anything if they're hungry enough including rabbits, hedgehogs, chickens, lambs and even swans. I learned this horror about lambs being ripped from their mothers while giving birth from several farmers. It is common knowledge here in Wales. They are very powerful and strong animals that can easily crunch up the skulls. Like hedgehogs, Badgers pick up loads of ticks and parasites. You don't want them near your pets. They are not clean animals. Upsetting as it may be to discover, please don't rubbish when you don't know the real facts.
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malc19
9 Fans
03:11 PM on 02/28/2012
its rubbish, they have done tests before & in areas where badgers were culled bovine TB INCREASED !!!

This is a beautiful creature & I am priviledged to have them visit my garden for a late supper of peanuts, one of their favourite foods, the only thing they should be shot with is a camera...end of !!!
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thedrainpig
25 Fans
02:57 PM on 02/28/2012
How can Labour and Mary Creagh "oppose" the badger cull? These hypocrisy of the Labour Party is staggering. It supported the slaughter of badgers when it was in Government. I fully support rayjsj55's comments at #1. I would add, that farmers need to do more to stop the spread of Bovine TB amongst badgers as excessive cattle movements are infecting badgers every bit as much as badgers are infecting cattle. However, it's far too easy for farmers to use the badger as an excuse, rather than get their own houses in order!
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rayjsj55
16 Fans
02:50 PM on 02/28/2012
A cull will not work, ONLY vaccination of both Badgers AND Cattle will halt the spread of this disease. The present ban on export of vaccinated cattle MUST be repealed. Otherwise how can a disease be conquered ? Not by slaughtering wildlife. A mis-guided 'Knee-jerk' reaction to a serious problem. Don't make a 'Protected' indigenous mammal the 'Scapegoat' for a failure of disease control in the cattle industry.
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