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Ideas for action

• Find out all you can about the issue. The more you know, the better you will be able to argue against the cull, and in favour of alternative ways of tackling bovine TB in cattle. You find information here on the Badger Pages. Please also visit the website of the Badger Trust, as this is a rich source of information about the issue.
• Write to your MP. If possible, please also write to DEFRA Ministers, and the Prime Minister. It is vital that politicians at all levels know strength of feeling that exists against the slaughter of badgers. (You can write to the Agriculture Ministers or the Prime Minister even if do not live in Britain - support from abroad for the campaign against the cull is more than welcome!) MPs generally accept that each letter they receive represents the views of about 200 constituents - so don't think that writing will be a waste of time. Even if you would not normally write a letter, please make an exception on this occasion. Unless the UK Government can be persuaded to pursue with more vigour, cattle-based measures which will actually resolve the problem of bovine TB, thousands more badgers (and cattle) will die needlessly. For further information, see Writing to Ministers and MPs on the Badger Trust website.
• Write to your local newspaper, and to whichever national newspaper you read. Many people still don't know about the proposals for large-scale killing of badgers - it is vital that they are made aware of what might happen. Many people who do know about DEFRA's activities may be under the impression that badgers are a major cause of TB in cattle. It is vital that people are made aware that cattle-to-cattle infection is responsible for 80% of bovine TB cases in Britain. And many people are probably under the impression that there are no alternative measures for controlling TB in cattle. There are many alternative measures, which do not involve killing badgers, and this fact must be made more widely known.
• Some 'animal rights' groups have been engaged in direct action to prevent badgers from being killed. Whether you take part in any such actions is your decision. Certainly, neither I as an individual, nor the Badger Trust or local Badger Groups, encourage or condone any illegal actions. The opposite is in fact the case. How could we call for the badger protection laws to be upheld if at the same time we flout other laws of the land? Irresponsible actions can only be counter-productive to the cause.
• Make a contribution to the Badger Trust's Fighting Fund, which has been established to finance the campaign against the proposals for a badger cull. All contributions will be welcome. See the Badger Trust website for details.

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Picture credits

The Eurasian badger photo used at the head of this Article is © Steve Jackson. Credits for the photos used in the right-hand margin of this page for site navigation can be found on the Credits page.

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