Summary of badger vaccination in 2025
Published 30 July 2026
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2026
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Background
Badgers are a protected species. This means a licence is required to capture them in cage traps before they are vaccinated. A licence is also needed to temporarily mark a badger to show it has been vaccinated. In 2025, these licences were issued by Defra and Natural England.
Individuals must have explicit permission from the relevant landowner to access land they want to place traps on. Individuals must provide proof of relevant training when they register for a licence to set cage-traps and/or mark badgers.
Number of badgers vaccinated in England in 2025
The open season for vaccinating badgers runs each year from 1 May to 30 November.
Licensed individuals must submit to Defra and Natural England an annual return of the number of badgers trapped, marked and vaccinated during the open season. In 2025, licensed individuals vaccinated a total of 4,080 badgers across England.
| County | Total vaccinated | Of which by APHA |
|---|---|---|
| Avon | 77 | 11 |
| Cheshire | 91 | 0 |
| Cornwall | 696 | 450 |
| Cumbria | 157 | 125 |
| Derbyshire | 31 | 0 |
| Devon | 37 | 0 |
| Dorset | 32 | 22 |
| East Sussex | 855 | 0 |
| Gloucestershire | 621 | 595 |
| Greater Manchester | 35 | 0 |
| Herefordshire | 60 | 60 |
| Lincolnshire | 484 | 484 |
| Oxfordshire | 45 | 0 |
| Somerset | 145 | 56 |
| Staffordshire | 14 | 0 |
| Surrey | 23 | 0 |
| Warwickshire | 17 | 0 |
| Wiltshire | 537 | 517 |
| Worcestershire | 123 | 98 |
| Totals | 4,080 | 2,418 |