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How well do farmers know their badgers? Relating farmer knowledge to ecological survey data
A Robertson1, R J Delahay1, G J Wilson1
1National Wildlife Management Centre, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodchester Park, Nympsfield, Gloucestershire GL10 3UJ, UK.
The Veterinary Record
|October 21, 2016
Summary
Farmer perceptions of badger activity generally align with ecological surveys but tend to underestimate sett numbers and visits. This highlights the need for caution when using farmer data alone for managing bovine tuberculosis risks.
Area of Science:
- Wildlife ecology
- Veterinary epidemiology
Background:
- Accurate badger distribution data is crucial for managing bovine tuberculosis (bTB) transmission.
- Farmer perceptions are often the primary source of information on badger activity at the farm level.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare farmer perceptions of badger activity with ecological survey data.
- To assess the reliability of farmer-reported badger sett numbers and farm visits.
Main Methods:
- Ecological field surveys to record badger setts.
- Farmer interviews to gather perceptions of badger sett numbers.
- Surveillance cameras to monitor badger visits to farm buildings and yards.
Main Results:
- Farmer estimates of badger setts correlated with survey data but were generally underestimates.
- Farmers correctly identified 50% of surveyed setts, with larger and active setts more likely to be recorded.
- While most farmers were aware of badger visits, 22% were unaware of visits to their farm buildings.
Conclusions:
- Farmer knowledge of badger activity is valuable for informing disease risk assessments but requires cautious interpretation.
- Underestimation of badger activity and lack of detailed sett location knowledge limit the sufficiency of farmer data for management interventions alone.
