To think the BBC are being deliberately provocative and should not be screening The Burrowers now

[TheKingAndI]

The desperately long awaited badger cull pilot is due to take place this summer/autumn, which will be a huge relief to many farmers who are suffering the scourge of bovine tb. I just don't think we need the BBC to be so provocative by showing this program at the current time, with its "cute" badgers being fawned over and fondled by Chris Packham.

[FreckledLeopard]

Well, anything that adds additional strength to those that oppose the cull is wonderful. Perhaps the misguided science behind the proposed cull might finally be recognised and the needless destruction of wildlife shelved.

[quoteunquote]

what do you think of the badger friendly milk situation

I think killing a native species because it is in the way, is undoubtedly stupid.

The Australians have learnt by their mistakes, one of their quite recent relatively was the reason the rainforest were not regenerating, was because they had persecuted the cassowary, as the rainforest had evolved with the cassowary and it's predecessors, a lot of the key plants and trees had developed so their seeds nuts only germinated if they had passed through the gut of a Cassowary,

Cassowary are very territorial and attack anything that comes into their quite large space, with their lethal spurs, they can decapitate a human with one kick, a bit of a surprise for the first Europeans,

so they have a very delicate balance to maintain, it took a long time to identify why the rain forests were not regenerating, no one realised what purpose the Cassowary were performing.

Badgers have been living in harmony on this land for longer than the humans have, there really were here first.

We don't know what the price we will pay when we eradicate them, it would be foolish to deliberately wipe them out, without knowing the full consequences.

there are two things that target and eat clegs/horseflies, an insect that causes a lot of damage to livestock, (and humans) wasps and dragonflies, we filled in all the ponds so the dragonfly's numbers have bottomed out, and we wipe out wasps nests where ever we can,

www.pondconservation.org.uk/millionponds

our toad and frog numbers are critical and they have a virus,

The majority of farmers and councils cut the hedges far too early, and take the berries off, so the birds are not here anymore to deal with pests.

We are all going to pay for this deliberate ignorance.

I come from farmers, I live with farmers, I live in the middle of the countryside,

This is yet another massive mistake, it is not even a solution, so there for pointless.

[Fishandjam]

YABU, for all the reasons already stated.

And bella, Chris P is emphatically not a creep. He's one of the most intelligent and knowledgeable presenters we have on TV. If anyone will ensure that the programme does not involve cute anthropomorphism, it's him. (And he looks bloody amazing for his age, not that that's relevant.)

[edam]

So, OP, you admit you have vested interests but somehow think the Beeb should be a propaganda tool for your side?

And you imagine a major factual wildlife series, that has taken years to make, has been dreamed up in two months just to piss you off?

'Some of my friends work for the BBC' - is that your version of 'some of my best friends are black'? You clearly didn't ask them how long it takes to make a series...

[edam]

this has been around for years but no doubt TheKingandI believes it was dreamed up yesterday to wind her up, and the creator should be drummed off the net...

[bellablot]

I'm lost altogether...is this a programme on badgers in general or badger culling?

It seems like two threads in one.

[RubyrooUK]

YABU. And I also have a vested interest as someone who has worked with the BBC and knows how long it takes to commission, film and schedule a series.

Oh and anyway, this programme wasn't even made by the BBC. It is made by a production company called Dragonfly and apparently took them a year to film.

All of which makes it very unlikely that the BBC are deliberately running this series to goad pro-cull farmers (which as others say, is in fact not all farmers anyway).

[edam]

bella, it's a programme about burrowing animals. Trailers are being broadcast now. The OP has a vested interest and wants the BBC to spread her propaganda. She somehow imagines the BBC have rushed this wildlife programme out in a couple of weeks in answer to the government's proposed badger cull.

The OP clearly didn't stop to find out about how programmes are commissioned or made, she just jumped in assuming the Beeb were out to get her personally. But never mind, apparently she has 'friends' who have worked for the Beeb who have told her it's all a plot...

[AnneUulmelmahay]

Edam there ain't enough s in the world to express how my face is wrt OP

[Viviennemary]

Badgers have as much right to be on this earth as any other creature. I think those culls are horrific.