Operation relaunched to tackle crimes against badgers
“To this day, badgers remain among the most persecuted of all species despite having one of the highest levels of legal protection” – Craig Fellowes.
The UK Badger Crime Priority Delivery Group (BCPDG) has relaunched Operation Badger to tackle crimes that harm badgers.
The initiative, which was relaunched on National Badger Day on 6 October, aims to raise awareness of criminal activities against badgers, such as illegal trapping, poisoning, badger baiting and sett disturbance, and encourage people to report them.
A UK-wide police operation, Operation Badger gathers evidence of badger persecution and identifies and targets offenders. The operation is overseen by the National Wildlife Crime Unit and is supported by police wildlife crime units, Badger Trust, Scottish Badgers, and local badger groups.
A new short film, narrated by wildlife television presenter Megan McCubbin, has been released alongside the operation's online information library.
Operation Badger relies on members of the public to report suspected crimes and the library contains resources to help people identify and report crimes against badgers.
Craig Fellowes MBE, Badger Trust wildlife crime officer and trainer, said: “Badgers have a long history of cruelty and persecution in the UK, spanning hundreds of years. To this day, badgers remain among the most persecuted of all species despite having one of the highest levels of legal protection.
“It’s up to all of us to work together to protect our badgers and stand up for them to stop badger crime. This new Operation Badger short film and the resources in the information library explain how.”
The information library, along with the short film, can be accessed here.
Image © Shutterstock
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
