More than 250 badgers have been vaccinated against bovine TB (bTB) in Cornwall this year, making it the most successful season to date, say wildlife campaigners.
New figures reveal in total more than 800 badger vaccinations have been carried out locally in the last four years, thanks to a partnership between ZSL (The Zoological Society of London), Cornwall Wildlife Trust and several groups of farmers.
The wildlife trust says the Cornwall badger vaccination programme has grown as more farmers and land-owners come forward to use the bTB control method as an alternative to culling.
The number of vaccinations has increased year-on-year, with the exception of 2020 due to the pandemic.
A new area of vaccination has been started around the River Cober near Helston, adding to established vaccination programmes in Penwith and mid-Cornwall, including several Cornwall Wildlife Trust nature reserves.
Badger vaccination is being carried out in a bid to reduce the spread of bTB in cattle, a disease which has had a huge impact on livestock farmers.
The policy of culling badgers has caused widespread controversy, with many farmers believing it is the only answer to the problem.
Scientists from ZSL have taken samples from most of the badgers caught to monitor bTB infection in the population over time as the vaccination work progresses.
The expectation is that vaccination will reduce bTB in badger populations and have a knock-on, beneficial effect on bTB in cattle.
Rosie Woodroffe, Professor at ZSL and lead for the Cornwall Badger Project, said: “As government policy pivots away from badger culling and towards badger vaccination, the on-the-ground evidence we are gathering should help land-owners across the country to decide whether to follow the lead of the pioneering farmers working with Cornwall Wildlife Trust and ZSL.”
The farmer-led mid-Cornwall project, which has been running for four years, has delivered more than 200 badger vaccinations in total across an area of approximately 20 square kilometres.
Around 20 farmers in St Stephen, near St Austell, have been involved in the scheme set up by Cornwall Wildlife Trust with ZSL in 2019.
Emma Ead, a dairy farmer involved in the mid-Cornwall badger vaccination project, said: “I didn’t know we had a choice to go down the vaccination route until a group of us got together and met with Cornwall Wildlife Trust.
“For us, this disease is like a nightmare that never ends.
“Fortunately, the vaccinations appear to be working and we want to continue with them. We’re particularly interested in the blood tests results, which will hopefully tell us more about the health of the badgers here on site. ”
Stuart Coleman, farm advisor for Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said: “All the badgers caught in the Cober area in the first year tested negative for bTB, which is great news and it means they now should be bTB free for life.
“This demonstrates that moving towards having localised badger populations free of bTB is a genuinely achievable goal.”
Badgers, including cubs, are vaccinated each year as part of a four-year vaccination programme.
ZSL vaccinators vaccinate badgers on 10% of Cornwall Wildlife Trust nature reserves. The Trust says it would like to continue and expand this work.
Cheryl Marriott, head of conservation at Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said: “Our Christmas Badger Appeal will help us to continue vaccinating badgers on our nature reserves and extend the work to other suitable reserves, as well as facilitate badger vaccination more widely.”
• To donate as part of Cornwall, visit www.cornwallwildlifetrust. org.uk/christmasbadger appeal
If you are a farmer or land-owner interested in learning more, contact farm.ecology.advice@cornwallwildlife trust.org.uk