RSPCA DANGLES A £1,000 REWARD TO TRAP BADGER KILLERS(cutting from Western Mail Nov 26th 2001 by Emma James.) EVERY year, thousands of badgers meet a horrific death in the name of "sport" More than 10,000 are caught, tortured and killed in the UK each year by huntsmen with terriers - with almost a third of these illegal acts being carried out in Wales. Alarmingly, this figure is rising constantly. However, only around three people are caught and convicted of badger baiting each year, while the majority carry on breaking the law. In response to this, the RSPCA is offering a £1,000 reward for information, which could lead to the successful prosecution of badger baiters. Chief Inspector Terry Spamer, of the RSPCA's special operations unit, said, "Badger baiting has been on a steady increase over the last couple of years. From gathering information on the subject, we have come to the conclusion that it is endemic in Wales and worse than it has ever been. "It was hoped that, because badger baiting is so barbaric, it would have fizzled out." He added there is a long history of hunting badgers in Wales, with many people owning working terriers. "Usually they start with foxes and go onto badgers later. It seems that the pinnacle of a terrier man's career is to breed dogs which are capable of working with badgers. "Obviously, it is highly illegal and there is immense cruelty involved, not only to the badgers, but also to the terriers who are sent into the sets to bring them out." RSPCA officers dealing with badger baiting incidents see some gruesome and barbaric sights of tortured and mutilated animals, he said. "We often find dead badgers left behind after they have been hunted. In one case, a badger had met a horrible death where it was beaten with a pickaxe handle and then stabbed to death. "And I have seen terriers with their jaws ripped open by badgers. As they are effectively 32lb weasels, they are capable of looking after themselves." However, badger baiting is proving extremely hard to police, as farm-ers, who consider badgers as a risk to livestock, are allowing badger hunters onto their land. As a result, very few people are being prosecuted. The RSPCA aims to change this and has launched a number of initiatives across Wales, as well as offering a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of offenders. "We have the backing of North Wales Police, Dyfed-Powys Police and South Wales Police as well as support from the National Federation of Badger Groups and local MPs," said Chief Insp Spamer. "We are all pulling together for the cause. We are offering the reward because we are desperate for information which could lead us to the offenders. We cannot catch them unless we get information from members of the public who witness this happening and we need specific information, which is the key to making a difference. We are pooling our resources and are determined to do something about it." emma.james@wme.co.uk //cutting ends
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