Description

The culling of badgers as part of a bovine TB control strategy has proved highly controversial. While the Independent Scientific Group which oversaw the Randomised Badger Culling Trial concluded that culling could make ‘no meaningful contribution’, proponents argue that controlling the wildlife reservoir is essential to the control of the disease in cattle. This talk aims to examine the major factors that veterinarians and veterinary bodies should take into consideration when  examining the arguments around badger culling – namely that it should be necessary and have a significant impact that it should be humane, and that it should not threaten the long term viability of badger populations.
Mark Jones is a graduate of LiverpoolVetSchool with many years’ experience dealing with the interaction of wildlife and farmed animals, principally in the aquatic sector. More recently he has worked in wild animal rescue, rehabilitation and release in South America and Asia. He completed his Masters in Wild Animal Health at the Institute of Zoology, London, in 2008, since when he has worked in the animal welfare NGO sector, campaigning for greater protection for wildlife and for greater emphasis on evidence-based policy decision-making on environmental issues.

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