With everyone’s mind turned to politics at the moment, big issues like hunting bans and badger culls come to mind. It sometimes seems as if we’ve talked these subject dry without finding a solution to suit everyone; but I got an insight into one hot topic this week. I was lucky enough to take part in Badger Vaccination training with AHVLA (Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency).
With visions of rugby-tackling badgers Steve Backshall-style, I turned up at a Derbyshire village hall not knowing what to expect. On the course were conservation groups such as the National Trust, several Wildlife Trusts, the Badger Trust, and several local badger groups. I realized how fuzzy my knowledge of badgers actually was; I never knew how complex their behaviour can be. We started with a slide show about badger ecology - did you know their poo is a major part of the nettle life-cycle? Or that there are four types of setts, each with a different purpose and construction? Or that, when trapped for vaccination, their response is normally to just fall asleep? Me neither. So much for Badger Dundee.
After lunch we headed out to see a Main Sett, the most active type. Remember their all-important poo? We had to give it a sniff. “It’s very sweet” our trainer insisted. “Go on, you need to recognise the scent when you’re surveying”. Mmm, thanks. Less squidgy signs were footprints (a wide oval heel, with five digits and claws), balls of bedding, and hairs stuck on a nearby fence. We learned how to tell a badger run from a foot or sheep path, and how to be respectful when getting close to their setts to survey them. Finally, we learned how to “bait” them (in the sense of putting down bait for them, of course; peanuts in this case), leading up to trapping them. The traps are a roomy cage, which must be placed by a trained vaccinator (not a humble pre-baiter) to make it safe for the badger. The traps must be checked at first light and the badgers must be injected and released within an hour. “Mostly, they just nod off” our trainer said. “They’re so dopey sometimes, It has to be seen to be believed”. At 4am, like badger like vaccinator!
The process is done on a 10 or 12 day cycle. A surveyor must first gather information using signs in a set square area, scouring every inch for tracks and setts. When the surveyor thinks they’re on to something, pre-baiters begin to feed the badgers with top-quality peanuts, gradually moving the bait closer to the trap over about 10 days. When the badgers are happy to go in the trap for their midnight feast, the trap is sprung and the badger sits tight until first light. They are vaccinated and sprayed with stock spray (the stuff used on sheep and cattle) to show they’ve been done. “It’s best to stand behind the trap when they’re released so they don’t bump into you” our coach said. As males are the weight of a five-year-old human, that’s probably a good idea.
The DEFRA vaccination programme is carried out entirely by volunteers; from surveyors, to pre-baiters to vaccinators themselves. The scheme was piloted four years ago; and while vaccination was not proved to be infallible, it did show “a 74% reduction in the proportion of wild badgers testing positive to the blood test for TB” (DEFRA). So while it’s not the miracle cure to end Bovine TB, surely a ¾ reduction in infected badgers is a good thing? After seeing the effort that goes in to the vaccination process, I certainly hope so.
Meg :)