Badger cull in Britain sparks protest
| LONDON
British farm union officials said Tuesday a cull of聽badgers聽has begun in a bid to halt the spread of cattle tuberculosis.
The聽badgers聽are blamed for spreading the disease to cattle, but opponents say killing聽badgers聽is not a sound scientific solution to the problem.
National Farmers' Union President Peter Kendall told farmers in a letter that a "pilot"聽badger聽cull had begun in two areas.
"I hope now you will feel that something is finally being done to stem the cycle of infection between cattle and badgers," he told farmers. "We cannot go on culling tens of thousands of cattle every year because of TB while knowing the disease exists in wildlife uncontrolled."
Plans call for about 5,000聽badgers聽to be killed during the six-week program.
Government officials say the cull is needed because of the rapid spread of cattle tuberculosis.
Demonstrators have tried to block the cull. They argue that a vaccine is being developed that would be more effective and humane than killing聽badgers.
Opponents gathered at "Camp聽Badger" for a candlelight vigil near one of the cull sites in Somerset, west of London, to call for an end to the cull.
Protester Carla Kidd said opponents are determined to stop the cull before it spreads nationwide.
"We are just normal peaceful people who are outraged," she said.
