BVA policy on bovine TB and badger control

THE BVA's position of support for the forthcoming pilot culls of badgers in the west of England is, we believe, not representative of majority scientific or veterinary opinion. As members of the veterinary profession, we are deeply concerned that the shooting of free-roaming badgers at night with shotguns and rifles is very likely to have detrimental welfare impacts on a large number of individual badgers, which may be shot, maimed and severely injured, but not killed outright. The natural behaviour of …