So in 2015 the owner, having set up this completely secure protected enclosure, installs a herd of fine healthy lady cows, to roam around eating the lush grass in complete safety This man wanted the best for his animals (in spite of eventually planning to eat them, which is a while different discussion). For a few years the animals are routinely tested for the presence of bovine TB, and always pass with flying colours. It’s a “closed herd” – safe from being infected by those infected badgers, right ? How COULD anything go wrong ?! Then tragedy strikes. Suddenly in a skin test, around one third of the cows test positive. It’s a disaster. The owner sees them removed from the herd and destroyed. In subsequent years it gets worse and worse, in spite of many attempts to segregate the unfortunate suspect animals. But in the middle of this awful scenario, a new realisation dawns. If those fences had not been there, DEFRA’s conclusion would have been “just another breakdown caused by badgers” – another justification for the wanton slaughter known as the Badger Cull. But in this case we have ample proof that the badgers had nothing to do with the breakdown. Because there were none. The whole belief that killing badgers can prevent new infections in cattle herds has at a stroke fallen to pieces. Badger culling has been a terrible, tragic, and costly mistake for all concerned. 💥 to be continued
— Bri