This was the reason that the today's Today programme put forward for the government's decision to put off its useless slaughter of badgers till the new year. But this idea is ridiculous. There has been no boom; no massive increase in population (by ~80% if the much discredited Defra is to be believed), unless these are EU migrant badgers looking for better setts in Somerset and Gloucestershire.
Rather, there have been two separate population estimates; one back in the summer, saying that 4500 badgers needed to be shot; and one now, saying it's 7900. So, estimated costs have gone up, and time has run out. What a shambles. Of course, had the cull gone ahead in the summer on the 4500 number, not enough would have been shot for even Defra to pretend its policy has been effective, AND all those unaccounted for (and un-shot) badgers would have spread TB farther into cattle herds. Oddly, this was not something its hapless minister mentioned as he shouted at the camera on Chanel 4 news last night. Desperate stuff. Who'd believe anything they say.
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