UPDATE: A spokesperson from Gwel An Mor said: "The badgers only need one vaccination as it lasts the duration of its life. However, to be effective in the wild the vaccination programme takes place over a five-year period to ensure that immunity is passed on to each generation of badger."

The higher the proportion of protected badgers there are in a population, the lower the number of animals that could become infected.

 

The controversial subject of badger culling has been a hot topic in the West Country for a number of years. To cull or to vaccinate has split farmers and land owners across the country, leaving those with smallholdings confused by what options are available to them.

A luxury holiday resort in Portreath has joined in the debate, by signing up to a five-year vaccination programme for the 100 acre holiday site and wildlife centre.

Feadon Farm, part of the Gwel an Mor five star lodge complex, has teamed up with Cornwall Badger Rescue to undertake a vaccination trial.

Gary Zammit Wildlife Ranger at Feadon Farm said: “Being a centre for conservation and promotion of British Wildlife it seemed preposterous for us to consider culling the local badger population.

“When we found out about the assistance offered by Cornwall Badger Rescue in vaccinating against Bovine TB it seemed like a logical and pro-active step to take.”

Working with a team of volunteers, the group found the entrances to a number of sets, dug in the traps and monitored them over a period of a week. At the end of surveillance they humanely caught the badgers, vaccinated them and released them unharmed back into their sets.

The vaccinations were paid for by Feadon Farm at Gwel an Mor, while the traps and labour were provided by Cornwall Badger Rescue. 

Gary said: “The debate between farmers is very well played out in the media. What is less covered is what smallholders, and indeed residents with a badger population in their garden can do to combat the spread of TB. What we need are more people to get in contact with the Cornwall Badger Rescue group to volunteer and help fund the project. We need to get out there and start vaccinating badgers.”

Bob Speechley, Co-ordinator at Cornwall Badger Rescue said: “It is not known how badgers contract bTB from cattle and while it is acknowledged that about one in seven badgers may be infected, they are not all infectious.

“Vaccinating badgers stops TB in badgers and reduces the severity of the disease in those that are infected. A reduction in the prevalence and severity of disease in the badger population will reduce the potential for transmission of TB from badgers to cattle.

“Cornwall Badger Rescue firmly believes that vaccinations for badgers, and in the long term for cattle, is the real solution to reducing the incidence of bTB. We are encouraging farmers and land owners to vaccinate their badgers rather than to kill them. There are many, farmers who have no wish to have their badgers killed.”

For more information see www.cornwall-badger-rescue.co.uk or for more information on Feadon Farm see www.feadonfarmwildlife.co.uk