Westcountry cattle farmers are to install CCTV cameras to spy on badgers potentially spreading tuberculosis to their herds.
The infra-red surveillance cameras to be fitted in 75 farms across the South West represents the latest attempt to curb the disease ruining livelihoods across the region.
Some 28,000 cattle were slaughtered in England last year as a result of being infected by bovine tuberculosis (TB), which is spread by badgers – 6,535 cows in Devon and 2,014 in Cornwall.
The number of visits will be recorded to determine why badgers are attracted to some farms but less so to others.
The four-week project is being run by the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency.
Its wildlife programme team leader, Dr Gavin Wilson, said: "Recent research has shown that badger visits to farm buildings are widespread and common, but that some farms are more prone to badger visits than others.
"The purpose of our current project is to try to understand the reasons behind this, and develop a simple method to assess the risk of badger visits to any given farm.
"Ultimately, this is about helping farmers determine what the best bio-security measures are for their individual farms."
Researchers will record the badger activity, farming practices and details including cattle feeds, local crops and landscape features.
Previous Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs-funded research confirmed badger visits to farm buildings and brought about exclusion measures, including installing feed stores and electric fences.
The Government recently confirmed two culls of disease-carrying badgers this year – one in Somerset, the other in Gloucestershire – as part of a package of control measures, including cattle movement restrictions.
The "pilot" culls, which could be rolled out throughout the South West if effective, are opposed by Labour and animal welfare organisations.
Up to 5,000 badgers could be killed across the two regions over the four-year period of the cull.
EU officials confirmed in January that a cattle vaccine will not be available until 2023. An injectable badger vaccine is regarded impractical, and an oral vaccine has yet to be signed off.
Farmers who are interested in volunteering for the study should contact the agency on 01453 861400 or wildlife@ahvla.gsi.gov.uk.
