No hiding in the dark for Derbyshire's cullers

We've sent a thermal imager to Derbyshire Against The Cull

Protect the Wild has put a lot of time and resources into highlighting the ineffective badger cull in the last six months. We’ve produced anti-cull animations, worked with renowned ecologist Tom Langton and the Badger Crowd, stood alongside ‘Betty Badger’ outside Defra, pursued the Labour Party over its failure to revoke the cull licences issued by the previous Conservative government, and in September handed our ongoing anti-cull petition to the government with other campaigners.

Our work has understandably focused mainly on the killing of healthy badgers. That’s vital of course, but amongst the stats and the arguments it can be all too easy to not take onboard the incredible sacrifices that groups on the front line are making to protect badgers. To almost forget about the heartache they are suffering and the despair they feel as the cull rolls endlessly on.

Last month we were contacted by members of one of those groups: Derbyshire Against The Cull (DATC). We’ve supported DATC in the past, but they’re a large group operating over a huge area. If they needed help again and we could provide it, of course we would…

Could we provide them with a thermal imager, they wondered? It’s an expensive piece of equipment, but we rate DATC very highly. It was a quick decision for us, and we sorted everything out as quickly as we could. What we hadn’t properly understood, though, was just how big a deal this was for the individuals who’d contacted us.

Have a read of the note they sent us, and take a moment to feel very proud indeed…

“We are a team that forms part of DATC, and our aim is to protect Derbyshire’s badgers from the sickening cull which is now into its fifth year here. We are only a small group, tight-knit from being together since the cull started in Derbyshire in 2020 - back when we not only had shooters to worry about, but the threat of too many of us in a car breaking social distancing rules! 

Most of our members up to now have funded their own kit, from map subscriptions to trail cameras, torches to radios and anything else that we thought might give us an advantage over those who seek out to kill wildlife. But there was some gear which we just couldn’t afford. So we asked for help. And we’ve just received the news that Protect the Wild are going to fund some kit for us! I’m normally the one in the group who is good with words, but today, well today I’m almost speechless. 

When I told the team their reaction was priceless - tears in their eyes, shouts of elation, and utter gratitude that knowing our hard work is recognised, appreciated and supported by you guys.

The difference this kit will make to us and the badgers should not be underestimated.

We are now into the time of year where the killing ramps up. Shooters are out regularly, sometimes sat at roadsides, hoping to pick off a badger from their vehicles roofs. Sometimes they are at the setts on foot. Sometimes they’ll be out laying cages ready to trap an unsuspecting badger which will be shot the following morning. But one thing they can’t do anymore is hide in the dark, as thanks to this invaluable piece of equipment, we can spot them clearly. This means that due to the generosity of the supporters of Protect the Wild, we are now on a more even playing field against this totally unjust slaughter. 

No words will ever seem quite enough- what you guys have done for us, as well as the wildlife that relies on us all to be their voice is indescribable. But from the bottom of our hearts, and from the badgers that we aim to protect, the best thing we can say is a huge, massive thank you.”

What a powerful message! What struck us most was the sentence “knowing our hard work is recognised, appreciated and supported by you".

The Support Network and the Equipment Fund that sits within it was always meant to be more than simply moving pieces of equipment around the country. We set out to also let groups know that we recognise, that we appreciate, and that we support the work they do and the sacrifices they make. And it’s overwhelming to see that we’re achieving that!

But of course, it’s not just Protect the Wild that sees the importance of groups like Derbyshire Against The Cull and all the other groups we’ve supported - it is you, the supporters that back us, that comment on Substack, that tell us over and over again just how much you value these groups too.

We couldn’t do this work without you, and these groups know that YOU ‘recognise, appreciate, and support the work they do’ just as much as we do.

That should make you proud! And to each and every one of you (and of course to each and every front-line activist working to protect wildlife), thank you.

• Derbyshire Against The Cull are on Facebook at DerbyshireAgainstTheCull. To pass on any information/tip offs please call 07717 466953.

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