The second badger cull in the Gloucestershire region of England was brought to a close on Saturday last. The move comes after government figures revealed that the personnel responsible for carrying out the removal of badgers were falling far short of their target.

The pilot cull had been set a target of removing 70% of the badger population in the area in an effort to control TB in cattle. Last week the project had only achieved an actual cull rate of 40%.

A second pilot cull in the Somerset region concluded last month with claims of a 65% success rate. The pilot schemes have been at the centre of intense controversy with opposing lobby groups clashing on numerous occasions.

The schemes were initially granted a four-year licence to carry out a cull of badgers. Whether or not they go ahead again next year is unclear at this stage.