Wildlife group launches petition to end ‘barbaric’ badger cull

AN online petition has been launched as part of a major campaign this winter to stop the “barbaric” culling of thousands of badgers.

The Irish Wildlife Trust said 115,000 badgers have been slaughtered by the Government since 1984. In many cases, the badger takes days to die in the snares and their young starve, the trust said.

However, the Department of Agriculture strongly defended its culling policy.