Sickening video reveals cruel reality of Britain’s badger cull as gruesome footage shows animal bleeding to death
The clip shows a large badger, found in Devon last week, with bloodied fur trapped in a cage in an apparent breach of strict culling rules
DISTRESSING footage of a caged badger bleeding to death has emerged as campaigners say it reveals the cruel reality of Britain's culling.
The clip shows a large badger, found in Devon last week, with bloodied fur trapped in a cage in an apparent breach of strict culling rules.
The animal, believed to have been caught at night, was still in the trap at 1.20pm the next day, animal group Stop The Badger Cull said.
Activists claimed its body was still warm to the touch.
It comes as the government last week issued licences to cull more badgers to tackle Bovine Tuberculosis.
The scheme was expanded this year to 11 new areas in Devon, Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset and Cheshire, and could see up to 33,000 badgers killed.
Queen guitarist and campaigner Brian May slammed the bloodthirsty methods calling it a "criminal waste of taxpayers’ money”.
Commenting on the sickening footage he said: “I’m sure I’m not alone in finding these pictures very painful. It’s pitiful to see these magnificent creatures being destroyed.”
He added: “The case for killing wildlife as part of a strategy for cleaning up herds of cattle is incredibly weak, and a huge doubt hangs over this policy. Yet this government ploughs ahead as if they are blindfolded.
“This is a tragic waste of innocent lives, which will not help farmers or cattle, and it’s a criminal waste of taxpayers’ money.”
Opponents say culling is inhumane and vaccinating badgers would be more effective in preventing TB's spread.
Jay Tiernan from Stop The Cull said: “This makes a farce of the idea it is being done to stop disease because protocols are being ignored across the cull zones.
“We are seeing evidence now that caged trapping cannot be done humanely. The people undertaking the cull are amateurs and have scant regard for animal welfare.”
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, states: “Cage traps set to catch must be checked and any badgers caught must be dealt with as soon as practicable after dawn the following day.
"Operators have a legal responsibility under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 not to cause unnecessary suffering to any animal under the control of man – this includes a wild animal held in a trap."