SAY NO TO THE BADGER CULL IN WALES. IT IS NOT INEVITABLE

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more I've just left the Senedd. And I'm angry. ROBERT POWNALL NOV 10 READ IN APP I’m writing this from a little café just around the corner from the Welsh Senedd in Cardiff, where I’ve finally managed to escape the freezing cold and rain after spending the last few hours protesting against the possibility of a badger cull being introduced in Wales. And I have to say, despite the weather being absolutely miserable, more than 100 people turned up to make their voices heard. People who could have quite easily stayed at home in the warmth instead chose to stand outside in the pouring rain, united by one very simple message: Wales must not start killing its badgers. The demonstration was organised by the brilliant team at the Badger Trust, who deserve an enormous amount of credit for bringing everyone together and continuing to lead the fight to keep Wales cull-free. I’m incredibly grateful to them for organising today’s event and giving us all the opportunity to stand together for these wonderful animals. SIGN THE PETITION I was also fortunate enough to be invited to speak to the crowd, and I went into it determined to be as optimistic and upbeat as possible. Spoiler alert: I definitely didn’t manage that. Because the more I think about the possibility of Wales introducing a badger cull, the angrier I become. How on earth are we still having this conversation in 2026? How, after everything we’ve witnessed in England, after more than a quarter of a million badgers have been killed, after years of campaigning, scientific debate and public outrage, are we now facing the possibility of yet another country going down the same dreadful path? When will we finally learn that killing wildlife is not the answer to every problem we create? The Welsh Govt should be pursuing solutions that address the disease itself, rather than reaching for the guns and killing protected wild animals. Better cattle testing. Stronger biosecurity. Improved disease surveillance. And dare we say actually ending animal farming itself, the only reason Badger culling is happening in the first place! These are the kinds of measures we should be investing our time, money and energy into. Instead, we’re once again having to fight to stop innocent animals from being made to pay the price. And what makes this all the more infuriating is that Wales has spent years pursuing a different approach from the mass badger culling carried out across England. Why on earth would we throw that away now? There is something profoundly depressing about spending years campaigning to stop wildlife persecution, only to find ourselves having to fight the very same battles all over again. But then I look back at today. At the people who travelled to Cardiff. At those who stood in the pouring rain holding placards. At the campaigners who have dedicated years of their lives to protecting badgers. At everyone who refuses to accept that killing wildlife should ever be the easy option. And suddenly, despite my best efforts to remain thoroughly miserable, I do find a little optimism after all. Because while there are people willing to stand up for animals who have absolutely no voice in the decisions being made about their lives, there is still hope. And let me be absolutely clear: a badger cull in Wales is not inevitable. Decisions have not yet been finalised, and there is still time for us to make our voices heard. But we cannot afford to be complacent. We cannot simply assume that common sense will prevail. And we certainly cannot allow the Welsh Government to believe that introducing a badger cull would be met with silence. So please, if you haven’t already, add your name to the Senedd petition calling for Wales to remain cull-free. SIGN THE PETITION And if you’ve already signed, please share it with someone who hasn’t. I want to finish by saying an enormous thank you to the Badger Trust, everyone involved in organising today’s demonstration, and every single person who came along. Seeing more than 100 people standing together in that awful weather was genuinely moving. These animals have done absolutely nothing to deserve what could be coming their way. They’re simply trying to exist in a country that ought to be doing everything it can to protect its remaining wildlife. The very least we can do is fight for them. Thank you, as always, for standing with us. Rob SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start your Substack