Defra yesterday confirmed that badger culling has begun in all three cull zones.

In addition to West Somerset and West Gloucestershire, the initial areas selected for a four-year trial badger cull by the government, culling has been extended to Dorset after two years of pilots.

Government officials and Wildlife groups conducting ‘wounded badger patrols’ at night in the cull zones have both confirmed that shooting has started in the South-West. On Wednesday night, one patrol of campaigners in Gloucestershire came across a badger with a gunshot wound, which was alive when found but later died, and a second dead badger whose ears had been cut off.

Claire Bass, Executive Director of Humane Society International/UK, which opposes the cull, said,"It's devastating news that the killing of badgers started in Glos last night. For a 3rd yr running these supposedly protected animals will be subjected to a cruel and pointless death, scapegoats of the government's failed cattle tb policy.”

The culls form part of the government’s bovine TB strategy, and Defra spokespeople have said the disease costs taxpayers £100m each year in addition to the huge emotional costs for farmers. However, a growing body of wildlife groups, independent scientists and vets has criticised the badger culling policy, after independent oversight was removed after just one year of culling and Defra refused to implement scientific monitoring to assess the cull’s impact on bovine TB in either cattle or badgers.