Badgers could be shot across England within weeks, barring a last minute legal challenge.
Natural England is preparing to issue licenses that will allow farmers to shoot badgers at night in parts of Gloucestershire and Somerset.
The government says action is needed to help combat cattle TB, which costs the UK more than ã100m per year.
The Badger Trust, which claims the government is acting illegally, is taking its case to the Court of Appeal.
In July, it lost a legal bid at the High Court to block badger culling in England.
Gwendolen Morgan of the law firm Bindmans LLP, which represents the Badger Trust, told BBC News: Culling as proposed is likely to do more harm than good and we hope that the Court of Appeal will find in our favour and prevent this recipe for disaster and prompt more productive means such as vaccination and cattle control measures.
The Badger Trust argues that the cull is illegal, as it will at best make a small impact on the disease and could make it worse.
Continue reading the main story
Poor badgers.
Natural England is preparing to issue licenses that will allow farmers to shoot badgers at night in parts of Gloucestershire and Somerset.
The government says action is needed to help combat cattle TB, which costs the UK more than ã100m per year.
The Badger Trust, which claims the government is acting illegally, is taking its case to the Court of Appeal.
In July, it lost a legal bid at the High Court to block badger culling in England.
Gwendolen Morgan of the law firm Bindmans LLP, which represents the Badger Trust, told BBC News: Culling as proposed is likely to do more harm than good and we hope that the Court of Appeal will find in our favour and prevent this recipe for disaster and prompt more productive means such as vaccination and cattle control measures.
The Badger Trust argues that the cull is illegal, as it will at best make a small impact on the disease and could make it worse.
Continue reading the main story
Poor badgers.
