Save our wildlife - Go vegan!

• Don't eat meat or dairy - animal agriculture is at the root of the badger's plight. Click here to find out how to ditch them!
   
• Click here for your free badger door-dropper leaflets. For bigger numbers of leaflets for stalls and other uses please email kate@viva.org.uk. Spread the word!

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Going against solid scientific advice the Welsh Assembly have voted to allow badger culling to go ahead in Wales. This will be a wildlife massacre of an almost unprecedented scale - and for nothing. The largest report into bovine TB found that badger culling would actually make the situation worse by displacing surviving badgers. It is not too late to try and make them see sense!

• Please write a polite letter to Elin Jones AM, the Minister for Rural Affairs (whether you live in Wales or not!):
  
  Elin Jones AM
  National Assembly for Wales
  Cardiff Bay
  Cardiff
  CF99 1NA
  
  Or email: elin.jones@wales.gov.uk
  
   using the following sample letter:
  
  "Dear Minister
  
  As a citizen of the UK I was extremely disappointed to hear that the Welsh Assembly has voted for a badger cull in Wales. Especially as England has now decided against a badger cull.
  
  This move goes against the advice of the largest ever study into the spread of bovine TB which found that culling badgers would have no meaningful impact on the spread of the disease – and would actually make it worse. The real culprit is bad farming practices. Despite intensive culling of badgers in the Republic of Ireland the proportion of infected herds has remained largely constant since culling intensified in 2002. Whereas, Northern Ireland has virtually halved infection, through effective cattle controls without badger culling. I urge you to follow Northern Ireland’s lead and call off the cull – it will achieve nothing, only needlessly cost the lives of thousands of wild animals and tarnish the reputation of Wales.
  
  I look forward to your response.
  
  Yours sincerely"
   
• Please also write a polite letter to Wales' Chief Vet, Christianne Glossop, who is fronting the Bovine TB Eradication Programme Board (we do not currently have an email address for her):
  
  Dr Christianne Glossop
  Chief Veterinary Officer
  Welsh Assembly Government
  Cathays Park
  Cardiff CF10 3NQ
  
  "Dear Dr Glossop
  
  As a citizen of the UK I was extremely disappointed to hear that the Welsh Assembly will not follow the lead of Hilary Benn in England and cancel plans for a ‘cull’ of badgers in Wales.
  
  This goes against the advice of the largest ever study into the spread of bovine TB, which found that ‘culling’ badgers would have no meaningful impact on the spread of the disease – and would actually make it worse. The real culprits are bad farming practices and the movement of millions of cattle around the UK each year.
  
  Despite being promoted as a ‘short term fix’, badgers could be wiped out in certain parts of Wales and you have admitted that even in 2018 “the end game will not necessarily be in sight” for bovine TB. This ‘cull’ could last into the 2030s. It will achieve nothing, only needlessly cost the lives of thousands of wild animals and tarnish the reputation of Wales.
  
  Please use your influence to stop the needless slaughter of Welsh wildlife. I look forward to your response.
  
  Yours sincerely"
  
   
• Write to your MP - ask them to sign EDM 2090:
   

  Alun Michael (MP for Cardiff South and Penarth), has launched an Early Day Motion (EDM) asking MPs to sign to thank Hilary Benn on his decision to not 'cull' badgers in England, and to put pressure on Elin Jones to rethink her policy on killing wildlife in Wales. You can read the EDM here.

  To find out who your MP is, and to send them an email click here.

  You can also write to your MP at: House of Commons, Westminster, London SW1A 0AA; to MSPs at The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh EH99 1SP and AMs at the National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff CF99 1NA. You can also find out the name of your MP by phoning 0207 219 4272; MSP on 0835 278 1999 or AM on 02920 898 200.

  It is important that we keep the pressure on in Wales. Use the letter below as a template, but personalise it if you have time.

  “Dear [your MP’s name]

  I was delighted that Hilary Benn has decided not to slaughter badgers in England in an attempt to control bovine TB. However, I am very concerned that a trial 'cull' in Wales could still go ahead. As a constituent of yours, I urge you to sign the Early Day Motion (2090) to back Benn's decision, and to put pressure on Elin Jones AM, the Minister for Rural Affairs in Wales, to call off this proposed slaughter of wildlife.

  The science is clear, killing badgers would not halt bovine TB – and could actually make the situation worse.
  
  11,000 badgers were already killed as part of the Randomised Badger Culling Trials, which found that nearly 90 per cent were free of the disease. A further trial 'cull' is pointless, and will be an animal welfare disaster.

  The real culprits for the spread of TB in cattle are intensified farming practices and the mass movement of farmed animals around the country. Around 14 million cattle are moved across the UK each year – this number has quadrupled since 1999. According to Government figures, between 2005 and 2006 over 600,000 more cattle were moved than the previous year.

  Dairy herd sizes have more than doubled since the 1970s – when bovine TB was at its lowest. There is a direct correlation between larger herd sizes and the spread of disease. The rush to intensify animal agriculture has led to this disastrous situation. Dairy cows suffer the dual burden of pregnancy and lactation during much of their lives. Their immune systems are shot to pieces and they are physically exhausted and killed at a fraction of their natural lifespan. Add to this unreliable bovine TB testing that is inaccurate in one-third of cases and you start to see the real causes of the problem.

  Please sign Early Day Motion (2090) (http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=36437&SESSION=891) and urge a non-lethal approach to controlling cattle TB in Wales.

  I look forward to your response."
  
   

• Please also write to Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. He has made the courageous decision not to kill badgers in England. Please write a polite letter to thank him (no matter where in the UK you live) and insist that the Government police farmers who try and take the matters into their own hands, and prosecute any that are found killing these protected animals:
  
  Hilary Benn MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA – or online at http://hilarybenn.org/contact – or phone 020 7219 3000:
  
  "Dear Minister
  
  Firstly, thank you for your courageous decision to go with science and common sense, and not allow a ‘cull’ of badgers in England. I understand that you must have been under huge pressure from the farming community, but your decision was the right one. The science is clear, killing badgers would not halt bovine TB – and as you yourself pointed out it could actually make the situation worse.
  
  As I know you are aware, a trial ‘cull’ in Wales is still planned. This despite the fact that 11,000 badgers were already killed as part of the Randomised Badger Culling Trials, which found that nearly 90 per cent were free of the disease. As you know, the real culprits are intensified farming practices and the mass movement of cattle around the country. I urge you to write to Elin Jones and ask her to follow your lead and call off the ‘cull’ in Wales.
  
  I am also concerned that misguided farmers may try and take matters into their own hands. Please can you tell me what measures you will put in place to police this and ensure that these protected animals are not the victims of vigilantes? I urge you to ensure that anyone found illegally killing badgers will be prosecuted under the full force of the law.
  
  Yours sincerely"