I watched a program a while back from Britain on how dairy farms were being threatened by the TB that badgers spread. The problem has been more prevalent in southern England and Wales. Badgers and their burrows are protected in the UK, which creates a huge problem for dairy farmers. Their herds have to be tested on a regular basis, and if one cow tests positive for the disease, the farm is forbidden from selling any of its milk. And they have to put the infected cows down.
Shoot - shovel - shut up..................
Got my lesson in badgers on my various pheasant hunting trips to N.W. Kansas by the land owner whose properties we hunted.
They're pretty much giant farmland rats and their burrows are leg traps for ranging cattle. Add to that the farmers who terrace their crops, the badgers cause enormous amounts of damage due to erosion caused by their burrowing........
On my last trip, one evening the landowner took us out coyote hunting with 6 of his greyhounds. While we never saw a coyote, the dogs did encounter a badger and it was a sight to behold, Each dog had a hold of a paw and one on it's head and they were trying to tear it apart. The badger was eventually killed but not before tearing open the hind leg of one of the dogs........They are strong, mean suckers!