National Trust organises test TB vaccination programme for badgers

The four-year scheme, paid for by the Trust at a cost of £80,000 a year, will take place on the 6,400-acre Killerton estate in Devon.

Yesterday, the Trust said it aims to demonstrate vaccines can be a viable alternative to culling badgers, which spread TB to cattle, amid continuing controversy over dealing with the disease that damages farmers’ livelihoods and costs millions each year to tackle.

The Trust said vaccinating badgers was a “practical step forward” after recent field studies which showed it worked to reduce TB in the wild animals.

Almost 35,000 cattle were slaughtered last year as part of efforts to control bovine TB, which is a particular problem in areas including Wales and the South West.

Six months ago the Government revealed plans to allow farmers to cull badgers as part of a series of “science-led” measures to deal with TB, but a bid to introduce a cull in Wales has been held up by legal action and the final go-ahead in England has also been delayed.

The last government refused to allow a cull in hotspot areas, following a 10-year study that concluded it was not a cost-effective way to tackle TB in cattle and caused disturbances to badger groups leading them to move around – further spreading the disease in the areas around a cull.

About 18 tenant farmers are expected to participate when the scheme starts next month.