NEWS: Badger Badger Badgers Not Biggest TB Threat

CULTURE: Badger Badger Badgers Not Biggest TB Threat

A new study shows that transporting cattle is the biggest risk factor for bovine TB.

Many UK farmers hate badgers and have been calling for badger culls, so this study is a bit of good news.

This study won't stop farmers calling for culls. Dr Wint (co-author) even says:

Why, exactly, are the farmers calling for badger culls? I assume it's something akin to prairie dogs in the US, in that prairie dogs (or badgers) dig holes, and the cattle step in the holes and break legs and such?

I've never understood how a cow can be dumb enough to step in a hole and break its leg. Aren't they always looking at the ground for grass? Wouldn't they see the holes?

The whole "badgers spread bovine TB" thing sounds like misdirection to me.
I have a nagging suspicion it's a control thing: "they damn badgers be digging holes in MOY LAAAND ".

But no self respecting family of Badgers makes their sett anywhere near where other animals will wander.

[Edited on May 26, 2005 by the_happy_pig]

That's right. The cows catch TB from falling in holes made by badgers.

Unfortunately for cows, they are very short-sighted, and cannot actually see the ground. This also explains why cows are not raced.

[Edited on May 27, 2005 12:20AM]

I doubt that is the case... i mean, then you walk by a field they do look at you and watch you walk by from quite a distance, also if this where the case then sheep dogs would be useless too as they rely on the cows watching where the dog is and where it is moving to in order to control the herd. Not much good if the cow is so short sighted it can't even see the ground let alone anything else.

That's actually an optical illusion... like when the eyes on a painting seem to follow you around the room.
Or maybe it's telepathy.
Mmm... telepathic cows.

Is "Badger" a British euphemism of some kind?

I see some folks from the UK using that word in inexplicable ways and I still don't get it.

:pokes a badger with a spoon:

Couldn't you just lure them out with mashed potato?

Isn't the reason that cows are not raced in fact that they are big heffing heifers not built to move much? (And so are targets for tipping?)

"Badger", so far as I know, means this animal, or sometimes means "nag, pursue, harass until the victim gives in".

take 2 hell marys and 3 hello dolly's

*sigh*

MUSHROOM, MUSHROOM!

But the question is: Do cows know where their hind legs are in relation to everything else? And can they even see where their legs touch the ground?

Those would be other possible explanations

I read that as "UK farmers are calling for badger cults", and I thought that was maybe the best idea I'd heard all week.

Reality dissappoints once again.

SNAAAKE! A SNAAAKE! OH, IT'S A SNAAKE!

-TM

on an unrelated note,Azrael_Abyss is a vag badger.

Now that's a kickass reference.

Nice work.

Many UK farmers are convinced that badgers spread TB. It's illegal to kill badgers (I think, I need to check that) but this doesn't stop many farmers from doing so. Some parts of the countryside you even see badgers nailed to poles.

yes it is in fact illegal .. badgers are a protected species .. along with otters and .. oh loads of other shit .

I work in civil engineering and we have to go to extra-ordinary lengths to move badger setts and provide tunnel crossing points when we build a new road .. its quite cool really!

yes .. but also frightfully boring.. I know

my point .. did I have a point? erm .. yeah why go to all this bother if we are just goingto kill the vicious little bastards anyways? There is absolutely no scientific proof that they are responsible for the TB thing at all!?

Perhaps everyone needs to attend...

A Badger Awareness day!

DEFRA do still set badger traps and such in the name of "research", although the link between badgers and bovine TB was discredited some time ago. But they're a Government agency and can do what the fuck they want, apparently.