The aim of the North East Essex Badger Group is to promote the well-being of all badgers in this part of the county, and protect them from persecution or criminal acts
We do this by regularly monitoring all known badger setts in the area, by responding to calls to the Hotline and upholding the legislation of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992.
Theres no better way to help badgers in North Essex (and beyond), than to join us. All members are volunteers who care about the wildlife right here in Essex. You can learn all about this native species, their lifestyle and habits, recognise a sett and may even be lucky enough to see some in the wild. Your membership fee helps in the work we do and entitles you to receive a home produced newsletter (at least twice a year), free training and a vote at the Annual General Meeting.
ALSO YOU CAN VISIT OUR ONLINE SHOP TO PURCHASE OUR MERCHANDISE!
There are four Badger groups in the Essex areas. Click on area of map to visit relevant website
Badger Trust promotes the conservation and welfare of badgers and the protection of their setts and habitats for the public benefit. They are the leading voice for badgers and represent and support around 60 local voluntary badger groups.
The current badger cull in England has been underway since 2013 and, following a recent Government announcement, is set to run to at least 2025 (the planned issuing of licences is expected to that point, but the right to issue further licences is reserved). To date over 140,000 badgers have been killed under what Badger Trust believes are misguided and fundamentally flawed attempts to control bovine Tuberculosis (bTB), an infectious respiratory disease which affects cattle. Tb is always present in the environment and affects many species, but the government is focussing on badgers because many in the farming community believe that badgers are a significant vector in the spread of the disease. Badger Trust fundamentally disputes this claim. The biggest factor is poorly regulated cattle movement and an inadequate testing regime.
The Government aims to make England ‘bTB free’ by 2038 and in early 2021 announced a public consultation into a new set of bTB eradication policy proposals, together with a call for views into associated cattle measures used, or which could potentially be used, to control the disease. The announcement stated an intention to end the mass culling of badgers through standard 4-year ‘Badger Disease Control’ licences by 2026 (the last new intensive cull licences being issued in 2022), and the reduction of ‘Supplementary’ licences from 4 years to 2 years.
Our projections show that this would still mean the loss of another 140,000 badgers in the coming years, totalling a horrific 280,000 badgers lost over a 16 year period. The exact population of badgers in England is not known, but the most up-to-date study put it at 485,000 (England and Wales). Badger Trust is concerned that the Government is not only undertaking the cull without real evidence that it is working, but without due consideration or care to the impact on badger populations. A complaint has been lodged under the Bern Convention by Badger Trust, in partnership with Born Free and Eurogroup for Animals, against the Government on this basis due to the threat of local extinction of this iconic, and usually protected, animal.
The cull is far from over, and our campaign to stop the senseless slaughter continues.