A challenge to culls which will kill thousands of badgers has failed at the Court of Appeal.
The Badger Trust had attacked Mr Justice Ouseley's decision in July to uphold government proposals for two pilot culls to tackle tuberculosis in cattle: one in West Gloucestershire and the other in West Somerset.
The Trust says that killing badgers will make no meaningful contribution to tackling the disease, which has been described as the most pressing animal health problem in the UK.
Thousands of badgers may be killed to save the spread of bovine TB
It claims that the scheme could lead to 40,000 animals being "pointlessly killed" over the next four years.
But, Lord Justice Laws, Lord Justice Rimer and Lord Justice Sullivan unanimously rejected the appeal, which was only concerned with statutory construction.
There was strong opposition to the cull, with a rally led by Queen guitarist Brian May staged in Bristol on Tuesday afternoon.
Afterwards, Patricia Hayden, vice-chairman of the Badger Trust said: "We are very disappointed. We don't know what the next step is, but we will not give up."