Badger-baiting criminals must be stopped, say welfaregroups

“BLOODTHIRSTY criminal gangs” are aware of virtually every local badger sett, an animal charity has warned.

The USPCA and the Northern Ireland Badger Group (NIBG) have urged the public and landowners to report suspected badger baiting.

NIBG chair Peter Clarke said the animals were being targeted relentlessly by criminal gangs “who roam our countryside at will”.

He said reports showed “a clear picture of the shocking scale of this abuse”.

Brendan Mullan, chief executive of the USPCA, said the badgers were snared or cage-trapped for baiting contests held at secret locations, and also dug from their setts or “lamped” when foraging “to satisfy the blood lust of these criminals”.

“The dogs they employ to corner and capture badgers inevitability endure merciless suffering, with lower jaws commonly rent asunder,” he said.

“Other flesh wounds are crudely stitched without any veterinary expertise, and dogs that fail to meet expectations are themselves slaughtered without mercy.

“The criminals involved seem

A badger-baiting gang digging into a sett to recover their dogs

to be aware of the location of virtually every badger sett in Northern Ireland and Sunday is their favoured day.”

Pregnant or lactating badgers are targeted during January and February, as mothers will fight to the death to protect their cubs.

Mr Mullan said while the gangs were “extremely secretive and cunning”, they were not invisible and would often use the excuse they were retrieving lost

dogs or hunting for foxes. The extremely cruel practice of digging out foxes is inexplicably still legal in Northern Ireland despite being banned in Britain and has very close links to badger persecution,” he added.

He warned the criminal gangs were also likely to use their time trespassing to look for other opportunities, like stealing equipment and livestock.

We currently have the toughest