[DaveinGermany]

As it stands the assumption of Badgers being the cause of BTB hasn't been conclusively proven, more cases tend to arise through bad animal husbandry than spread through an outside agent.

The Cull gained favour because it's easier, less labour intensive & cheaper than a programme of vaccination. The Badger protection act came into force in 1992 (consolidating various earlier acts)& since then they've thrived. Like everything that was once under threat of decimation, an act of protection is passed, they recover, over populate & are once more the subject of debate & questions over their status.

It's even easier if they can be scapegoated for something or other making them a more viable target.