The disease was almost eradicated in the 1980s by a combined strategy of tuberculin testing of cattle and culling of badgers. But following the Zuckerman report of 1980 culling was scaled down and entirely abandoned following the Krebs report in 1997 by the in coming Labour Government. Since when, as may be seen from the chart below, the disease has escalated out of control:

What the Bow Group of Tory MPs, the Welsh Environment secretary and other organisations such as the RSPCA and National Trust that are climbing onto the band wagon of vaccination should know, is that a proven vaccine against bovine TB currently does not exist for use in the field either for cattle or for badgers.

For the full text of our response to EFRACom's Inquiry on vaccination against bovine TB [click here].

Please download our supplement to our response to the Government’s consultation 2010 on bovine TB and badger culling on this link (PDF Format)

Please download our full response to the Government's 2010 consultation on bovine TB and badger culling on this link (PDF Format)

Latest joint publication with the All Party Parliamentary Middle Way Group:

Please use this link to download your copy of Hunting wildlife management and the moral issue - Updated and revised edition - December 2011

“We are pleased to collaborate again with the Middle Way Group to produce this latest document, the third in a series of joint publications, which we believe, together with our Veterinary Opinion on Hunting with Hounds published in 2002, represents an overwhelming welfare case for repeal of the Hunting Act (2004).”

New review sheds light on the lives of wild animals

'Wild animals must be treated in ways that do not necessarily apply to domestic animals' according to a new review produced by the VAWM. 'Life in the Wild' highlights the fundamental differences in the way in which wild and domestic animals live and the differing approaches to their management and welfare.

In the wild there are pressures on wild animals, such as disease and population control that do not apply to domestic animals. In an environment that is called 'wild', yet is almost exclusively man-managed, there is a responsibility on man to ensure a proper balance is kept.  Life in the Wild describes the detrimental consequences of 'leaving things to nature' and explains why certain actions that are unnecessary and possibly devastating to a domestic animal are essential and natural for wild animals.

Life in the Wild was launched at the CLA Game Fair, Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire on 23rd July 2011 at 11.30am in the Game fair theatre. Download a copy of Life in the Wild in PDF format on this link