Wednesday 6 July 2011: Release time immediate

Wildlife Aid Foundation urges David  Cameron to

reject “environmentally destructive and politically risky” badger cull

‘With a decision expected from the Government this week on whether to proceed with a badger cull in England, the Wildlife Aid Foundation is calling on Prime Minister David Cameron and Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman to “put wildlife and the natural environment first” and not to sign the death warrant of thousands of innocent wild animals.

Going ahead with a cull of badgers in order to halt the spread of Bovine TB among cattle would be “clutching at straws”, says Wildlife Aid Foundation director Simon Cowell MBE, and would most likely achieve no measurable benefit for England’s farmers. “The scientific case for a badger cull is very shaky indeed, and for every study that recommends culling there are several that say it would be pointless and would do nothing to stop the spread of Bovine TB”, says Cowell. “It would be environmentally destructive and politically risky.”

The Wildlife Aid Foundation is urging David Cameron and Caroline Spelman not to repeat the mistake they made earlier this year when they put forward an environmentally-damaging and politically contentious scheme to sell off the nation’s forests. In that case they eventually had to back down in the face of fierce public opposition and Simon Cowell believes that a go-ahead for a badger cull would inevitably produce the same result.

Cowell says: “The Prime Minister and the Environment Secretary must rule out a badger cull now, before it is too late. Otherwise they will end up embroiled in yet another messy political controversy, from which they will eventually – inevitably – have to retreat, though not before the senseless slaugher has begun and thousands of badgers have died.

“The protection of the natural environment should be above politics and it does nobody any good to have politicians and conservationists at each other’s throats over such a major issue as this ill-conceived and ultimately doomed badger cull.

“The badger is a protected species under the law and in the circumstances it is disgraceful that any government should want to disregard this important legal protection by promoting a large-scale slaughter of these wonderful creatures. It is interesting that in Scotland they have achieved TB-free status through testing and without killing any badgers. If they can do it north of the border, they should be able to do the same thing in England too.”

Based in Leatherhead, Surrey, the Wildlife Aid Foundation exists to rescue and rehabilitate sick, injured and orphaned wild animals, and then return them to the wild. The charity has its own veterinary hospital and 24/7 wildlife emergency service dealing with some 20,000 wildlife incidents every year.’

I talked with David Williams, the Chairman Of The Badger Trust three weeks ago  and we all think the government should listen to the scientific evidence that demonstates a badger cull will not eradicate tb in cattle.