Queen rock legend Brian May stands up for badgers
Rock legend Brian May said he doesn’t want the countryside “stained in blood” as he dropped into Stroud to lend support to an anti-cull campaign.
The Queen guitarist was the centre of attention at a public meeting in the Old Town Hall today, convened by the Badger Trust to gather backing for their bid to protect the species.
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Brian May
Countryside around Stroud is one of the pilot areas for badger culling in a bid to stamp out Bovine Tuberculosis, the deadly disease the animals are believed to spread.
Mr May, 64, a long-time wildlife campaigner, said: “I’m here because I don’t want to see our wonderful wildlife slaughtered.
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“I’m not a novice in this matter. I know I’m a rock star but I know what I’m talking about.
“Vaccination is the alternative, even members of the NFU have said vaccination is the only way to eradicate this disease.
“If there is a cull, I’m almost certain we will actually see an increase in Bovine TB.”
The meeting room at the hall was packed, with at least 100 people listening to presentations from experts including badger ecologist Dr Chris Cheeseman and supporters of the animal.
Ten years ago, Mr May famously played a guitar version of God Save the Queen on the roof of Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. As she celebrates her Diamond Jubilee this weekend, he said he will watch “with interest” as ska group Madness follow in his footsteps.
Comments
by Mslavender
Monday, June 04 2012, 9:32AM
“It seems from previous discussions that the TB epidemic tapers out in Northumberland thankfully ,-- but what is the reason for this, -- obviously there is a lesson to be learned here!”
by stroppy12
Monday, June 04 2012, 9:05AM
“stop drinking cows milk, which is pus they produces for their young, and stop eating them, problem solved”
by tinpants
Monday, June 04 2012, 6:08AM
“video from event here......
http://tinyurl.com/79ze25n
pics from event here...........
https://http://tinyurl.com/82983mq”
by Kay_Powell
Sunday, June 03 2012, 8:14PM
“2ladybugs,
Laboratories can produce any amount of TB vaccine for use in humans, cattle or badgers, as long as they are paid adequately for the vaccine. Children in the Third World are not in competition with badgers for the supply of the same vaccine. I'm fairly certain that the vaccine isn't the same for humans and badgers anyway. However, the reason that children in the Third World might not be getting vaccinated against TB is the same as the reason that the UK government is against routine vaccination of badgers to eliminate TB in the badger population - money.”
by 2ladybugs
Saturday, June 02 2012, 10:55PM
“"is very unfair"”
by 2ladybugs
Saturday, June 02 2012, 10:55PM
“Walker100
If you are going down that road then this planet if very unfair. You have the equatorial regions where they have little or no water. You have the polar regions where very little life forms. We just have to make the best of a bad thing. Whilst this country doesn't value our livestock, people in foreign parts are grateful for the dried milk that is being sent to them.”
by 2ladybugs
Saturday, June 02 2012, 10:48PM
“Another thing, if they think that badgers are not passing the disease over to cattle why are they so worried about badgers moving to another area and spreading it even further?”
by Walker100
Saturday, June 02 2012, 10:46PM
“You are very right there 2ladybugs. Millions is being spent on so many things that could and should be being spent elsewhere.
My main bugbears are defence and religion. It seems that untold billions are spent on these that is money that could solve most, if not all, the world's ills.
I think one of my most abiding memories is seeing local bush tribes in Zimbabwe where 1 in 3 adults had aids living in mud huts but being forced to build stone & tile churches to their leaders that do not countenance condoms.
Even Gloucester cathedral has hundreds of thousands of pounds spent on it annually when people are dying for lack of money locally.”
by 2ladybugs
Saturday, June 02 2012, 10:35PM
“BTW it takes a lot more of the vaccine to vaccinate a badger than it does a human being.”
by 2ladybugs
Saturday, June 02 2012, 10:30PM
“Yes whilst cattle vaccination is a no go because of EU rules(along with a myriad of other rules that they impose on us)ignoring it won't make it go away. I was fighting the cause of the badger this time last year but having seen wildlife dying in agony with TB I can't now condone doing nothing.
In an ideal world we would be able to test badgers the same way that cattle are tested but it won't happen and if it did will we end up with all badgers testing positive? On top of this there are millions of people around the world that need the vaccinations that are being given to the badgers. Children are dying because they are running out of the vaccine. Where do we draw a line?”