Dear Friends - great news

New Scientific Review Shatters the Evidence Used to Justify Culling Badgers

A newly published badger cull study review demolishes the scientific foundation used to justify the misguided badger cull policy. It concludes that the authors of the highly influential Randomised Badger Culling Study (RBCT) failed to apply basic statistical methodology.  Put simply, Oxford's pro-cull scientists misinterpreted their data and arrived at a false conclusion. In fact, their data shows NO EVIDENCE that badgers spread bTB to cattle. This basic oversight has supported 10 years of badger culling. The impact of their error has been devastating. The latest cull figures for 2024 show that over 50% of all England’s' badgers have been 'removed'. 

And still the killing goes on, as the government and the Oxford scientists responsible for the RBCT  double down on  a demonstrably flawed and failed policy. This is a massive injustice and affront to farmers, badgers and to the public who pay for the cull.

We renew our call - with little hope - to ask the eminent Oxford scientists behind the Cull to speak out and call for an end to the killing.

An article in the Independent newspaper lays out the findings of the review and its impact. Professor Donnelly, the statistician who analysed the RBCT is now head of the University Dept of Statistics. She seems to think her work is above criticism. Professor Sir Charles Godfray who leads the governments current review of future badger cull policy is clearly pro-cull. These "eminent" scientists need to do better than offer to "tweek their models". 

Thank you for supporting our petition. Your support helps put pressure on the scientists, ministers and other decision makers to END THE CULL. Please spread the word about this important new scientific evidence.

More information is available on our blog and from the Badger Trust

We will continue to hold Oxford Universities Scientists to account. 
In hope. For the Badgers Sake.

Oxfordshire Badger Group