Northern Ireland

Rural initiative aimed at protecting badgers to be continued for another year after being hailed a success

A rural initiative aimed at protecting badgers and their setts is to be continued for another year after being hailed a success.

Operation Brockwatch, a joint initiative formed by the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (USPCA) and NI Badger Group, managed to protect six vulnerable setts in its first 12 months.

The initiative, which is a rural partnership working alongside landowners and the PSNI, worked to identify badger setts that are commonly subjected to badger baiting, and made moves to monitor them and protect them.

The number of setts monitored will be doubled during the second year of the operation.

Brendan Mullan, USPCA Chief Executive, appealed to anyone who spends time in the countryside to "be vigilant" and "support Operation Brockwatch by reporting badger persecution without hesitation.

"We want to thank the landowners and the PSNI who have joined with us in a very effective rural partnership to stop this horrendous cruelty to both badgers and dogs," he said.

"We have been keeping a very close eye on a number of badger setts previously disturbed relentlessly and we will be watching even more setts over the coming months," he said.

He added: "We never forget why we set up Operation Brockwatch in the first place. Badger Baiting is premeditated cruelty at its very worst, it is a shocking and sickening spectacle and is happening in every county in Northern Ireland".

Rebecca Millar, chair of the Northern Ireland Badger Group (NIBG ), said it was "delighted with the success of the pilot.

"These passive nocturnal animals live in tight family units called clans and we are so glad that we have been able to work together to help protect the badgers and their setts that are sometimes hundreds of years old," she said.

"We know from the video footage we have collected over the past year that these threatened badgers are currently thriving due to the added level of protection the Brockwatch team have put in place".