Putting badgers on the pill?

BRITAIN‘S BADGERS should be given contraceptives to stop the spread of disease, Tory MP Patrick McLoughlin has said.
 
The statement was made during a debate in the House of Commons, in which another Tory MP, Anthony Steen, said: “Badgers are vermin, there are no known predators, the disease is spreading rampant throughout the south west; it‘s inflicting enormous damage and loss on herds. “

“Farmers are now less protected than badgers and it appears the government couldn‘t care less.”

While badgers are blamed for spreading tuberculosis to cattle, there is no scientific evidence of this, the BBC reports, and campaigners said badgers should not be blamed.

Junior DEFRA minister Ben Bradshaw said he was aware of research into animal contraception.

But he added: “I‘m afraid we haven‘t yet got to the stage where a reliable or effective method has been found.”

A DEFRA spokesman told the BBC tests were being done on wild boar to see if contraception was worthwhile.

But the spokesman added the boar were being injected, which would not be suitable for badgers.