Policy paper

Summary of 2024 supplementary badger control operations

Published 11 June 2025

Applies to England

Background

In July 2017, Defra announced^{[footnote 1]} that as part of the government’s 25-year strategy to eradicate bovine tuberculosis and protect the livelihoods of dairy and beef farmers, Natural England could licence and authorise local farmers and landowners to carry out supplementary badger control (SBC) operations across 2 areas, over a 5-year period.  This authorisation was extended to permit licensing of a third area in 2019 and 7 areas in 2020. In May 2021, Defra updated its guidance to Natural England and subsequently SBC operations were authorised for a 2-year period only in 11 areas in 2021, 10 areas in 2022, 11 areas in 2023 and a further 9 areas in 2024.  Any area which was issued a badger disease control licence after 1 December 2020 was not eligible for a supplementary control licence.

Badger control licences are required to be re-authorised each year. In 2024, SBC licences were re-authorised to take place for a fifth year in 6 areas and a second year in 11 areas.  An additional 9 areas were granted SBC licences in 2024, within Derbyshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Leicestershire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Somerset, Warwickshire and Wiltshire.

Operations were authorised to take place between 1 June 2024 and 31 January 2025. This document sets out the outcomes of these operations in those areas.

Effectiveness

Estimates for the number of badgers to be removed from each licensed Area were provided by Defra for the purpose of giving advice to Natural England for the setting of minimum and maximum numbers. The estimates, methodologies and rationale used were published in October 2024^{[footnote 2]}.

As in previous years, Natural England monitored the progress in licensed Areas. The numbers of badgers removed from accessible land parcels were reported on a regular basis. This provided information on the number of badgers dispatched, the spatial distribution of badger control activity and the effort that was deployed. This enabled an assessment of the progress that each badger control company was making towards achieving the minimum and maximum numbers and allowed Natural England to assess whether resources were being effectively deployed across accessible land.

Progress towards minimum and maximum numbers

In 2024, 21 SBC areas met the required level of culling effort and spatial coverage across their areas. 17 of these areas achieved their minimum number and did not exceed their maximum, while 4 of these SBC areas (Areas 5- Cornwall, 6- Devon, 8- Dorset and 41- Staffordshire) ceased operations having removed fewer than their minimum numbers.

Five areas, namely Area 4-Cornwall, Area 33- Avon, Area 36- Staffordshire, Area 38- Devon and Area 39- Dorset ceased operations marginally below on their required level of effort. Area 4- Cornwall also did not achieve their minimum number.

In 2024, all SBC areas met the required level of spatial coverage and were deemed effective.

The number of badgers removed against the minimum and maximum number is presented in Table 1 for each licensed area.

Table 1: total number of badgers removed per licensed area

Area	Minimum number	Maximum number	Badgers removed	Removed by controlled shooting	Removed by cage trapping
Area 4 – Cornwall*	131	380	122	113	9
Area 5 – Cornwall*	152	461	52	46	6
Area 6 – Devon*	294	1173	240	209	31
Area 7 – Devon	145	455	193	174	19
Area 8 – Dorset*	475	1685	328	323	5
Area 9 – Gloucestershire	219	1118	372	347	25
Area 33 - Avon	74	707	351	338	13
Area 34 - Cheshire	117	1124	704	674	30
Area 35 - Cornwall	263	1897	484	410	74
Area 36 - Staffordshire	100	648	174	170	4
Area 37 - Devon	193	985	397	384	13
Area 38 - Devon	173	1316	370	339	31
Area 39 - Dorset	51	484	151	122	29
Area 40 - Herefordshire	281	1253	637	609	28
Area 41 - Staffordshire*	351	809	323	313	10
Area 42- Wiltshire	19	2550	361	349	12
Area 43- Wiltshire	64	1005	538	528	10
Area 45 – Derbyshire	425	1675	747	741	6
Area 46 – Gloucestershire	54	284	171	166	5
Area 47 - Herefordshire	284	1236	523	482	41
Area 48 - Leicestershire	82	432	269	262	7
Area 49 - Oxfordshire	128	621	155	143	12
Area 50 - Shropshire	256	2382	1648	1544	104
Area 51 - Somerset	56	1746	826	751	75
Area 52 - Warwickshire	200	1044	458	450	8
Area 53 - Wiltshire	64	329	103	80	23

* Areas that ceased operations having removed below their minimum numbers

Safety of the operations

Operations in all licensed areas were carried out to agreed standards of public safety. All contractors continued to receive updates prior to the commencement of operations in 2024 on the requirements of the published best practice guides, lessons learned and safety. In relation to the use of firearms, no incidents affecting public safety were reported in any of the areas.

Humaneness of controlled shooting

In SBC areas, Natural England assesses compliance with the standards set out in the best practice guides for the controlled shooting of free-ranging badgers and cage trapping and dispatch of badgers through risk-based monitoring. Monitoring is conducted by exception only and reserved for any new contractors or where information has been received on licensed activities. 

Nine compliance monitoring visits were conducted during the 2024 operational period. No compliance issues were identified during these visits, although there was 1 observed shooting event where a badger was shot at but not retrieved and it was concluded as wounded and lost. There were also 6 other self-reported contractor shooting events where a badger was shot at but not retrieved. Natural England investigated these shooting events to ascertain the circumstances and concluded the badgers were wounded and lost. This represents 0.05% of the total number of badgers removed. 

Sett surveys

Sett surveys were required by all SBC areas prior to licensing or re-authorisation in 2024. As in previous years, Natural England undertook sett checks in areas that did not meet their minimum number in the preceding year to confirm the continued presence of badgers.

Natural England Chief Scientist’s advice on the outcome of Supplementary Badger Control 2024

The badger population reductions achieved in the 26 supplementary badger control areas in 2024, have been evaluated on the basis of the numbers and locations of badgers culled, the numbers culled against effort over time, and our assessments of the level and spatial distribution of culling effort deployed.

Based on the available information, 17 out of the 26 areas deployed a sufficient level and spatial distribution of culling effort and removed the minimum number of badgers set, and I concluded that they have completed effective supplementary culls.

In 4 additional areas (Area 5- Cornwall, Area 6- Devon, Area 8- Dorset and Area 41- Staffordshire), whilst these companies did not achieve the minimum number that was set, the spatial distribution of badger control activity and the level of culling effort that was deployed, suggests that the reduced badger population required by the policy has been maintained.  As such, I concluded that effective supplementary culls have also taken place in these 4 areas. 

In 4 further areas (Area 33- Avon, Area 36- Staffordshire, Area 38- Devon and Area 39- Dorset), although the minimum number of badgers set was removed, the level of culling effort deployed across these areas was marginally below that expected. However, as it was marginal, and the spatial distribution of this effort was sufficient across the area to give confidence that the reduced badger population has been maintained, I therefore concluded that effective supplementary culls took place.

In 1 area, Area 4- Cornwall, whilst this company did not remove the minimum number of badgers set, and their level of effort fell marginally short of expectations, the spatial distribution of this effort was sufficient across the area to give confidence that the reduced badger population has been maintained. I therefore concluded that an effective supplementary cull took place.

The minimum and maximum numbers for 2025 will remain the same in line with Defra’s commitments under the Bern Convention. We will continue to ensure that local extinction does not occur in order to protect the UK’s badger population.

Prof. Sallie Bailey
Chief Scientist, Natural England

Chief Veterinary Officer’s advice on the outcome of Supplementary Badger Control 2024

“In 2024, I continued to provide oversight and advice on disease control for the 26 (Areas 4 to 9, 33 to 43 and 45 to 53) supplementary badger control areas. Operations ceased in Areas 3, 10 and 22 to 31 in 2024.  

The badger population reductions achieved in the 26 areas have been evaluated based on the numbers and locations of badgers culled, the numbers culled against effort over time, and Natural England’s independent assessments of the level and spatial distribution of culling effort deployed. 

Natural England’s Chief Scientist and I concluded that all supplementary cull areas carried out an effective cull in 2024, despite some areas marginally missing either their minimum number or effort targets.” 

Prof. Christine Middlemiss
Chief Veterinary Officer

1. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bovine-tb-authorisation-for-badger-control-in-2017    ↩

2. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advice-to-natural-england-on-setting-minimum-and-maximum-numbers-of-badgers-to-be-controlled-in-2024. ↩