Chris Rundle column: Brian May on back foot over cull
The sickening stench of hypocrisy hangs heavy in the air over Dorset this morning, and the miasma is particularly noticeable above the private estate of the badgers’ champion Brian May.
You will be familiar with him as the celeb who has been denouncing the badger cull and the farmers planning to take part in it in equally vituperative terms.
-
Chris Rundle
Yet such opprobrium, it seems, only applies to the business of culling badgers. Culling deer is somehow different, which is why he has been allowing deer to be shot on his 140-acre plot – some 23 reportedly young, healthy animals were taken out by a stalker on his instructions.
Once he was confronted with the story there came the sorry spectacle of the ageing rock musician digging himself deeper into the pit with his claim that he had been advised to carry out the cull because it would improve the health of the local deer population.
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk
View detailsOur heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Sunday, May 26 2013
Precisely the reason why farmers want to cull badgers: the countryside is now grossly-overpopulated to the extent where TB is rampaging through it as never before.
Finally a classic ‘black is actually the new white’ statement on the affair from the RSPCA illustrates what a corner this completely discredited organisation has painted itself into.
“There is strong scientific evidence that deer culling is humane and effective in certain circumstances. The recently postponed cull of badgers does not accord with these circumstances.”
Why it’s “humane” to shoot a deer but not a badger is an argument I am still struggling to get my head round. As to “effective” – you can only judge that, one would have thought, after the event.
Comments
by 2ladybugs
Wednesday, November 28 2012, 12:17PM
“Well all we can hope is that this hypocritical old timer encourages all the deer and badgers from the surrounding areas onto his wildlife reservation. The farmers who abut his plot can then build deer/badger proof barriers to prevent any escapees. He can then deal with the problems of bTB. Of course his newly planted "natural" forest will probably end up as scrubland once the deer have nibbled the tops off his saplings. Oh and if the deer don't demolish the trees the badgers will probably finish off the job by undermining the roots when digging their setts.
One assumes because he has recently "found" veganism, he cares little about the rest of the population who enjoy milk with their cereals. The way that TB is gradually creeping across the country, through farmed animals, including sheep, we shall soon be reliant on imported dairy and meat products. Of course nobody gives a damn as to how TB is controlled in other countries, but heigh-ho, as long as badgers aren't culled in this country.”