Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The pilot badger cull in Gloucestershire ended this week.
In the six weeks of the the pilot cull 708 badgers were removed. This represents just over 30 per cent of the revised local badger population of 2,350.
The Chief Veterinary Officer has advised that the period of culling this year should be extended to achieve the earliest and greatest possible impact on bovine TB in Gloucestershire. Natural England is therefore considering an application for an extension from the cull company in Gloucestershire.
The pilot culls in Gloucestershire and Somerset have been testing the safety, humaneness and effectiveness of controlled shooting as a means of reducing badger numbers and therefore reducing the high levels of disease in these areas.
The early indications from Gloucestershire are that, as in Somerset, the pilot has been safe and humane. The Independent Panel of Experts will now consider all of the information from these pilots before the government decides on next steps.
Natural England are currently considering the application to extend the licence in Gloucestershire and a decision is expected shortly.
You can read the written statement about the end of the Gloucestershire cull on the Parliament website.