The vaccination programme, which originally started in 2013, costs the wildlife charity about £5,600* to run per year. The charity is asking for help from supporters to raise awareness and funds to continue their efforts to vaccinate badgers.

The badger vaccinations reduce the risk of badger to cattle transmission of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), protecting farmer’s livestock and reducing the need for culling wildlife.

The Independent Scientific Group research from the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) showed that badger culling can cause the disease to spread more widely, as the animals’ territorial boundaries are disturbed; leading to the increased movement of badgers.

Jeff Sim, Head of Reserves and Species Recovery for Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, says:

“The Trust believes that the vaccination of badgers against bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is currently the most effective way of reducing the risk of badger to cattle transmission of the disease.

"We are also conscious of the hardship that bovine tuberculosis (bTB) causes in the farming community, and the need to find the right mechanisms to control the disease. We call on the government to stop the cull of this iconic animal and propose the alternative of investment of wide scale vaccination.”

25 per cent of the European badger population is found in the UK, so we have an international responsibility to conserve them. Since 2013, over 176,000 badgers have been culled in the UK.

To support Staffordshire Wildlife Trust’s vaccination programme by making a donation, visit their website at https://www.staffs-wildlife.org.uk/badger-appeal