Brushing democracy and science aside, Defra has decided to go ahead with more badger culling this summer. The cull is being extended to one more zone in Dorset, but not to all 10 extra zones proposed last year. The cull is supposed to stop badgers spreading TB among cows, but for more on that see SchNEWS 836.

The 'independent experts' report on last year's culling concludes the shooting of badgers in Somerset and Gloucestershire was not humane or effective. Many badgers took over 5 minutes to die after being shot. And marksmen failed to kill enough badgers to prevent bovine TB spreading more by disturbed badgers roaming (perturbation).

Huge numbers of people have participated in demonstrations and direct action against the cull and in Parliament 219 MPs voted for a motion to stop the cull while only one voted against it. Apparently pro cull MPs decided to abstain because it wasn't worth the bother of voting, which is bizarre though they do have a point because this vote was not binding. So the Defra Secretary Owen Paterson decided to ignore it. But then he's ignoring lots of things, fudging so many facts it's hard to keep up.

There aren't any dates announced for the cull yet. Those carrying out the cull never told us the exact areas last year but Stop the Cull did a lot of research to work out the boundaries, and shared this, to help people disrupt the shooting. Any additional information on which farms are in or out of the cull is welcomed.

Until shooting starts, groups are campaigning from all different angles to make the cull unworkable, including asking the British Vetinary Association to stop supporting the cull.