Badger Swagger

June 5, 2013 8:11 AM

To protest a UK government policy in favor of killing badgers to reduce bovine tuberculosis, Queen guitarist Brian May has teamed up with Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash and naturalist David Attenborough to form the supergroup Artful Badger and Friends. The group released the song Badger Swagger on June 3.

Opponents of badger culling cite a 2007 report [PDF] on government-ordered randomized badger culling trials that found that badger culling is unlikely to contribute to the control of bovine TB and could make the problem worse. Some advocate vaccination of badgers as an alternative.

The UK government and farmers contend that badgers are one of the greatest threats to farms and dairies and that culling is an effective way to control bovine TB.

posted by ultraviolet catastrophe (12 comments total)

This is not the only song released to save the badger badger badger.
posted by MartinWisse at 8:17 AM on June 5, 2013 [3 favorites]

"Be the Mushroom"
posted by Windopaene at 8:21 AM on June 5, 2013

Far-Right Extremists Chased Through London by Women Dressed as Badgers
posted by figurant at 9:20 AM on June 5, 2013 [2 favorites]

I loved that. Looked pretty fine in my badger outfit. Point made, bodies counted, hobnobbed with übermulletted sixpence-wrangling stereographer cum astrophysicist. Now I'll harry some bigots before the meter expires.
posted by hawthorne at 9:36 AM on June 5, 2013

To protest a UK government policy in favor of killing badgers to reduce bovine tuberculosis, Queen guitarist Brian May has teamed up with Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash and naturalist David Attenborough to form the supergroup Artful Badger and Friends.

Is it April 1st already?
posted by ZenMasterThis at 9:45 AM on June 5, 2013 [1 favorite]

First they came for the foxes, and I did not speak out...
posted by badger_flammable at 10:34 AM on June 5, 2013 [1 favorite]

You know, when its very hard to find a scientist who will agree with your crazy culling scheme, then maybe its time to call it a day on an incredibly unpopular policy. Every now and then you'll hear a story about the government pushing through on an issue on which they are clearly wrong and you have to wonder why? Inertia? A political calculation based on those who do support it versus an assumption of it not mattering enough to others? Just pure corruption?
posted by Cannon Fodder at 10:51 AM on June 5, 2013 [2 favorites]

I killed a badger only the other day. Stupid little thing wouldn't get off the track. I passed over it again today; stretched out on its back; it's sad little corpse all bloated with rot and the foul gases of carnal decay; all four legs poking stiffly at the sky. It looked like a particularly rotten and flyblown fool's bladder. There is no dignity in death. None.
posted by Decani at 11:04 AM on June 5, 2013

I'm continually impressed with the life of significance that Dr. May has made for himself.
posted by Chinese Jet Pilot at 1:11 PM on June 5, 2013

Previously.
posted by homunculus at 1:15 PM on June 5, 2013

At first I was thinking "well, isn't it a good idea?" but that wikipedia article cleared that right up...The badgers get the bTB from the cows, merely culling them is unlikely to affect rates of bTB in cattle, no one wants to pay to vaccinate the badgers, and vaccinating cows is apparently out of the question because "cattle that had been vaccinated would technically fail legally mandatory tuberculin tests, and therefore could not be declared officially tuberculosis-free". I really don't see why they can't just keep a record of which cows were vaccinated, seeing as how they're tagged and tracked anyway. "We'd vaccinate the cows against the disease, but then they can't be classified as disease-free, so we're going to leave them susceptible." Uh, huh. Here's to hoping they find a better solution.

I'm also think it's interesting from the standpoint of vaccinating wild animals. I think it would be great if we could actually do something as people to help lower the rates of disease of wild animals, just to be nice. Also, badger state represent! They are some awesome (and potentially vicious if provoked) creatures.

Stupid little thing wouldn't get off the track. Track? I'm guessing you're not talking about like a running track?
posted by nTeleKy at 1:53 PM on June 5, 2013

It was totally worth watching the whole video just for the one really queeny guitar note at 3:16.
posted by lastobelus at 2:35 AM on June 6, 2013