WOUNDED BADGER PATROLLERS NEEDED – update

Jul 31, 2013

Wounded Badger Patrol 24th July 2013

One of the Wounded Badger Patrols out in the Forest of Dean area on Wednesday 24th July.

www.glosagainstbadgershooting.org

25th July 2013

PRESS RELEASE

  Public Join Night Patrols in Response to Inhumane Badger Cull

Volunteers from both Gloucestershire and other areas of the country are coming forward to join Wounded Badger Patrols that will walk public footpaths during the cull to look for injured animals.   The Patrols are being co-ordinated by local campaign group Gloucestershire Against Badger Shooting (GABS) and will cover most of the planned cull zone when shooting starts.

One of the aims of the government’s pilot culls in Gloucestershire and Somerset is to see whether they are humane, as this has never been done before.  Through a report released last month, DEFRA has said that it expects a number of animals to be wounded but not killed. The report sets out that shot, but conscious badgers will be left in order to allow the shooters to carry on killing other badgers.  These animals are then expected to die from infection or starvation.

Jeanne Berry, a spokesperson for GABS said “When we read the DEFRA report we knew many people could not just stand by and do nothing.   We have had a good and heart-warming response from many people right across the countries that are prepared to help us when the shooting starts.   Badgers could still benefit from more local people joining the patrol.

For more information call 01452 813168 or email wbpglos@gmail.com to join one in their area.”

The Wounded Badger Patrols will involve people walking legally on public footpaths near to where shooting will have taken place and all volunteers must agree to acting peacefully and within the law.

Media Contact:           Liz Gaffer 07789 320983 prgabs@gmail.com 

Notes to editors:

1)    Gloucestershire Against Badger Shooting is a group of volunteers within Gloucestershire who have concern about the Badger Cull.  Volunteers within the group agree to act peacefully and within the law.

2)    Copy of the redacted DEFRA document setting out details of the approach to measuring humanness

http://www.hsi.org/assets/pdfs/badgers_RedactedyellowPaper4-5Humanenessresearchproposal31_5_12_FINAL.pdf

UPDATE on August 19:

Our friend Deborah Jones, General Secretary of Catholic Concern for Animals reports:
‘I went on a trial 2-hour walk yesterday evening with my local squad of the Wounded Badger Patrol somewhere or other in the countryside near Gloucester. It was a gorgeous walk, apart from some brambly bits and a few overgrown footpaths… It will not be so much fun in the total dark in the cold and rain with shooting going on nearby…
However, it’s got to be done, and the company was good – 7 people, plus a journalist from BBC radio Farming Today programme, who interviewed us in turn as we went along, taking photos for their website.
It may be aired on Thursday morning in their early spot, and again in the weekend roundup. She’s also going to give the full transcript to Radio Gloucester and the national press….
Let’s hope it all has some effect, but the news on the ground isn’t good – blocked up setts, bait already being seen in the Somerset area, wires erected to trap them.’
Dr Deborah Jones FOCAE.        www.catholic-animals.org 
 

 

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