Mr – or Mrs – Badger

Alison Prince

Coming back from Lochranza last week, for the second time in a few months, I had to brake for a badger shuffling its quiet way across the bridge over the burn. These private, intelligent animals are not proved to have anything to do with bovine tuberculosis, which some farmers say is linked to over-use of manufactured intensive food-stuffs, yet there is open season now for badgers to be shot by anyone. The idea is to wipe out the badger population, regardless of the suffering involved. Heaven be thanked, this is not happening in more sensible Scotland, but if you object to the slaughter campaign in the south, there’s a vigorous petition going on that you can easily sign. Click on http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk