Public attitudes towards badger culling to control bovine tuberculosis in cattle

In 1999, a questionnaire survey was conducted to evaluate public preference s towards badger culling to control bovine tuberculosis in cattle. Three al ternative treatments were considered: (I)widespread culling. (2) the curren t experimental trials, and (3) no culling. One hundred residents from Glast onbury and York were interviewed in person and asked to give preference rat ings to each of the three treatments. The single most preferred treatment w as no culling. and the least preferred was the widespread cull. Respondents who favoured either the widespread cull or the experimental trials tended to be more knowledgeable about the problem and cited the level of tuberculo sis in cattle as the primary factor guiding their preferences. Respondents who favoured the no culling option tended to be less knowledgeable, and cit ed the conservation and welfare impacts on badger populations as the most i mportant factors. Analysis of the distribution of preference scores suggest ed that although it was not necessarily the most preferred treatment the ex perimental trial may be a relatively acceptable alternative.