What was the badger cull for?
The cull aimed to reduce bovine tuberculosis (bTB), a serious disease of cattle. Badgers can carry bTB and pass it to cattle, so from 2013 the Government licensed groups of farmers and landowners to cull badgers in parts of England where the disease was common.
Timeline
2013
Licensed culling begins in Somerset and Gloucestershire
At its height
The policy covers 73 licensed cull areas
2024
Labour's manifesto calls the cull ineffective; the new Government begins a fresh bTB strategy
January 2026
The remaining intensive and supplementary licences expire
30 July 2026
Natural England confirms the last licence, in Cumbria, will not be renewed; vaccination is deployed there instead
Winter 2026/27
The new national badger population survey is due to finish
How many badgers were culled?
Badger Trust calculates that 254,038 badgers were killed between 2013 and the end of culling. It says that is more than half of England's badger population as estimated in the last national survey. How many badgers are there in the UK?
Did the cull work?
Opinion is divided, and both sides point to evidence.
The case made for culling
Government analysis reported in 2024 found that herd TB rates fell by an average of 56% after four years in the first 52 cull areas. The then Environment Secretary, Steve Barclay, said at the time that culling had proved highly effective and should remain a key part of the approach. The NFU says peer-reviewed studies show targeted culling works.
The case made against
Badger Trust, Born Free and The Wildlife Trusts argue that culling was ineffective and inhumane, and that the focus should be on cattle-based measures such as testing and movement controls, plus vaccination. The Wildlife Trusts note that bTB is not a major cause of death for badgers themselves.
What happens now in England?
The Government is moving to badger vaccination, alongside stronger cattle testing and surveillance. Its report to the Bern Convention in April 2026 describes a new badger vaccination field force, a farmer-led vaccination project in Cornwall, and a national wildlife TB surveillance programme. The aim is an England free of bovine TB by 2038.
What about Northern Ireland?
Northern Ireland sets its own bovine TB policy. A planned badger cull there was halted after a legal challenge to the consultation process, and in July 2026 the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) opened a new consultation on wildlife intervention. The Ulster Farmers' Union has said farmers are willing to pay for culling. No decision had been announced when we last reviewed this page.
Could culling come back in England?
Campaigners such as Born Free have called for a legally binding end to culling. For now, no culling licences are being issued in England. We'll update this page if the policy changes.