As we entered the third week of unjustifiable badger killing in the south of England Network For Animals joined Wounded Badger Patrollers in Somerset and Gloucestershire, walking the fields to protect badgers.

We have financially supported Wounded Badger Patrols during the last few years as they are an incredibly important, non-confrontational, and entirely legal way of taking action to protect badgers from the badger cull.

Taking part in patrols in both Somerset and Gloucestershire proved safe, well co-ordinated, non-confrontational, inclusive and ultimitely incredibly rewarding: Taking part means saving badger’s lives.

Please use one of these two email addresses today and do your bit for badgers:

Wounded Badger Patrollers typically meet up at 7pm, discuss their personal abilities (and any limitations) and are teamed up with people who know the geography of the area very well. They will then be allocated as ‘sett sitters’ or ‘walkers’ and agree their role, and the time they will be out for that evening.

Sett sitters will spend time near, but not directly next to, a known badger sett, and a flask and fold up chair are advised! Walkers will follow the route of a public footpath, around an area where culling could otherwise happen (teamed up with people who know the route). You will never be alone on a Wounded Badger Patrol, and phone numbers will be provided to report any issues you come across, and to help get assistance for any wounded badgers.

All wounded badger patrollers wear high visibility clothing and carry torches, so are a highly visible, and entirely legal presence in the fileds. It is illegal for any badger culler to fire their weapon when there are people in the area, so your presence will save the lives of badgers.

Network For Animal’s visit also took us to meet Somerset Vaccination Project, an incredibly well organised vaccination project in the heart of the cull zone that we have helped fund over the last three years. During the cull period, vaccinated badgers are being encouraged to stay out of the cull zone, with peanuts being laid around the perimmeter of the vaccinated land by volunteers every day.

With two weeks of ineffective and inhumane killing ahead, your presence will come as a generous relief to those brave and welcoming souls who have already been out day after day, night after night since the killing began.

In a fortnight, this government will begin adding up the number of badgers they have killed. We will then have six months to make sure they pay at the general election. I welcome any donation you are today able to give towards our campaigning work but please do not let this stand in the way of making your own visit to Somerset or Gloucestershire: The badgers need you.