Protect the badgers (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Protect the badgers

2:54pm Thursday 13th March 2008 in Letters

I attended the recent badger/TB meeting in Devizes and heard that 88 per cent of bovine tuberculosis infections to cattle are from cattle.

We need to protect the environment and cull the cattle as they are the main contaminant. As badgers have lived in Britian since the end of the last ice age, long before interbred pedigree cows, they should not be culled.

Years ago it was believed a farmer's role was to maintain the countryside's flora and fauna besides making a reasonable profit.

An effective vaccine for cattle is expected by 2012/15 and until after that the badgers should not be used as a scapegoat.

Keith Wicks, Cuckoos Knob, Wootton Rivers