Madam, - Sean McConnell's description of how in the 1990s badgers were routinely killed - slurry pumped into badger setts, shot badgers dumped onto roads - makes grim reading (The Irish Times, May 29th).
It is evidence that some farmers are capable of odious and callous acts towards a protected species.
Research on the occurrence of bovine TB has in no way identified the badger as the guilty party. Yet this unfortunate animal has been scapegoated by successive Ministers for Agriculture and tby farmers.
No more badgers should be killed until the TB case against them has been proven beyond doubt by objective, extensive and wholly reliable studies.
We are a long way from such a conclusion. - Yours, etc.,
GERRY BOLAND, Animals in Crisis, Keadue, Co Roscommon.