Scotland has a small badger cull rate - and is virtually BTB-free. But in England, with notoriously high badger cull rates, BTB is a big problem. So logically, badgers are the scapegoat for BTB. The more logical cause is that infected animals are frequently traded (prior to symptoms being found) at animal markets, where the animals are tethered at close quarters until sold. This spreads the BTB like wildfire. "Buying in" new stock is the other way that infected animals get introduced into herds.
In Scotland, farmers (especially those in remote areas) tend not to trade at markets as much as in England. That explains why Scottish BTB is very rare.
For a good article on this issue, see:
https://www.scottishbadgers.org.uk/userf...OTLAND.pdf
Hands off the innocent badgers!
In Scotland, farmers (especially those in remote areas) tend not to trade at markets as much as in England. That explains why Scottish BTB is very rare.
For a good article on this issue, see:
https://www.scottishbadgers.org.uk/userf...OTLAND.pdf
Hands off the innocent badgers!
