Jeremy Clarkson has said everyone at Diddly Squat is “absolutely devastated” after confirmation of bovine TB on the farm.
The star of the hit Amazon TV show shared details of the TB outbreak on his social media channels today (Thursday, July 31).
According to Clarkson “the offending animal is pregnant with twins”.
The tv star received thousands of messages of support from fans on social media sympathising with him over the TB confirmation.
Clarkson also shared that “Endgame” the prize bull which featured in the last series of the Amazon show has tested inconclusive for TB.
“I couldn’t bear it if we lost him,” Clarkson told his followers on social media.
TB
Separately the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) today announced that a new research project is underway on the impact of TB vaccination among badgers on rates of infection.
According to the NFU the three-year project has been driven by farmers in Cornwall who want to “better understand” the impact badger vaccination may have, both in preventing TB in the badger population and in cattle herds.
The joint NFU and Zoological Society of London (ZSL) has been awarded financial backing of £1.4 million from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
An earlier project, on a small scale by ZSL and the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, found that the number of badgers testing positive for exposure to TB dropped from 16% to 0% over four years of vaccination.
The latest project will pilot three different vaccination approaches to determine which delivery model works best at scale in a cost-effective way:
- Standard approach – Annual vaccination over four years, following the current badger vaccination guidelines;
- Intermittent – Vaccinate every other year (year one and three) with the aim of reducing delivery costs and enabling faster expansion;
- Targeted – Reactive vaccination based on TB breakdown holdings and nearby farms.
Martin Howlett, who is an NFU member and livestock member, is taking part in the project.
He said: “My farm was repeatedly hit by TB over a 15-year period. Losing cattle, even if it’s only a few each time, takes a massive toll on the family and the business, which was essentially frozen. What I remember most from that time was a constant sense of dread.
“Wildlife control played a key part in helping us to eradicate TB on our farm and we’ve been TB-free for five years now, but we know this measure won’t be available forever.
“It’s vital we look at other tools to ensure we can continue to reduce cases.
