0:00:28 > 0:00:30The historic Kingdom of Fife,
0:00:30 > 0:00:33ancestral home of Scottish monarchs
0:00:33 > 0:00:36and a land famed for its fairways.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41The coastline is a dot-to-dot of fishing harbours
0:00:41 > 0:00:43and mining villages.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50Inland, a lacework of lochs, forests and fells.
0:00:50 > 0:00:55The natural peninsula lies an hour north of Edinburgh,
0:00:55 > 0:00:59bounded by the River Tay and the Firth of Forth.
0:00:59 > 0:01:04I'm exploring the north-eastern corner, known as Tentsmuir.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08This is one of the most dynamic landscapes in the country,
0:01:08 > 0:01:11and I'm not talking about what is going on around me.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13It's what's going on under my feet.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17For the last 5,000 years,
0:01:17 > 0:01:20this coastline has been expanding outwards,
0:01:20 > 0:01:24as much as five metres a year in some places.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28All that extra land has made this a highly desirable location
0:01:28 > 0:01:30to set up home...for wildlife.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35With a range of habitats,
0:01:35 > 0:01:38it's a des-res for some of our most elusive creatures.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49To be in with a chance of seeing the wild locals, you need time,
0:01:49 > 0:01:52you need patience and to be a little bit inconspicuous,
0:01:52 > 0:01:57so, with our schedule and this lot in tow, it's never going to be easy.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59Come on, then, you lot!
0:02:01 > 0:02:02Ssh!
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Luckily, here at Tentsmuir,
0:02:07 > 0:02:11they have come up with a hi-tech solution for wildlife spotting.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15All you need is your walking boots and one of these.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17Or one of these.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19Thanks.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22Apparently, it's dead simple.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26All I have to do is take a scan of this QR code...
0:02:28 > 0:02:31- BEEP - There we are.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35And I can access a whole virtual reality of all of the wildlife
0:02:35 > 0:02:37that lives right here.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39The web page that opens up offers me
0:02:39 > 0:02:42a sneak peek at some of the wild residents of Tentsmuir,
0:02:42 > 0:02:46as well as sketches and paintings created at that very spot.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49The main man behind the project is Derek Robertson,
0:02:49 > 0:02:53wildlife artist, local lad and all-round nature lover.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55- How are you doing? All right?- Hiya.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58What a beautiful part of the forest to be sketching.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00It's amazing, isn't it? It's beautiful.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Derek will be artist-in-residence here for the next 12 months
0:03:04 > 0:03:08to celebrate the Year of Natural Scotland.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11So, where did the idea of this artist trail come from?
0:03:11 > 0:03:13- Was this something you came up with? - Yeah.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15I was doing a whole load of drawings and paintings
0:03:15 > 0:03:19and I was looking for a way of exhibiting them on-site,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23and also, I've been taking video footage of the animals around us.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25To be honest, Derek, I try and leave my phone at home
0:03:25 > 0:03:27when I come to places like this,
0:03:27 > 0:03:30and the last thing I want to be doing is looking down at a screen.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33I agree. If it was either-or, then I would agree with you,
0:03:33 > 0:03:38but it's the choice of the person coming along and it can give a much richer context
0:03:38 > 0:03:42and seeing footage of wild animals that otherwise, they wouldn't see.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44These are things which often come out at night
0:03:44 > 0:03:47- or are difficult to get close to. - What have you been busy with?
0:03:47 > 0:03:50- You've got a beautiful red squirrel here.- Yes, red squirrels.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53We've been watching some earlier on today.
0:03:53 > 0:03:54They been coming down to the feeder.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57You've captured their characteristics so brilliantly.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59- Can we have a little flick through your pad?- Yeah, sure.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03This is what I've been doing the last couple of days,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06so this is my watercolour sketchbook.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09So, this is woodcock in the forest nearby,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12and then a couple of days ago I was down on the shore
0:04:12 > 0:04:17drawing the seals, but it started to rain so I had to dive for cover.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20So this never got anywhere near finished,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22so I'll have to go back in a couple of days' time.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Derek spends much of his time outdoors,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27but his work isn't all about the canvas.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29As an enthusiastic naturalist,
0:04:29 > 0:04:33he has also pioneered an unusual way of counting birds.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38In the past, I've been looking at different ways of researching
0:04:38 > 0:04:41the animals here on-site so, for example,
0:04:41 > 0:04:43we've done studies of water rails,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46which are really difficult to count because they hide in the reeds,
0:04:46 > 0:04:50and we used "call playback", where they're played a tape
0:04:50 > 0:04:53- and then the birds call back. - Answer back, basically?- Yes,
0:04:53 > 0:04:56- so we know how many are there. - Did it work?- It worked great.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58We thought we had two or three on the site,
0:04:58 > 0:05:02and we found out we had 110 at this reserve nearby.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05So, that model's being used as the standard research tool now
0:05:05 > 0:05:07for surveying water rails.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12While I leave Derek to his squirrel sketching,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15I'm going to try out this bird counting technique for myself.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18Right, let's give this a go. I'm quite excited about this.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21So, water rail... Play.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25CHIRPING FROM MACHINE
0:05:25 > 0:05:28PIERCING CALLS IN REPLY
0:05:28 > 0:05:31How about that? Listen to that.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35I'm having a conversation with a water rail. That is incredible.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Well, while I continue communicating,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43let's turn our attention to this week's investigation.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46And plans to trial badger culling may well be dividing
0:05:46 > 0:05:49much of the nation, but as Tom has been finding out, England is
0:05:49 > 0:05:54not the first place to try and tackle bovine TB in this way.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Ireland, a rich and fertile land.
0:06:00 > 0:06:05From traditional Irish homesteads to modern working farms,
0:06:05 > 0:06:09agriculture is at heart of this economy,
0:06:09 > 0:06:12and most of that is livestock farming.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15But just like their British counterparts,
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Irish beef and dairy farmers
0:06:17 > 0:06:20are struggling with the problem of bovine TB,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23a chronic and highly infectious disease that,
0:06:23 > 0:06:30if left unchecked, can weaken and ultimately kill infected livestock.
0:06:32 > 0:06:37As in the UK, badgers are getting much of the blame for spreading
0:06:37 > 0:06:40the disease amongst cattle, but until now, England and Ireland
0:06:40 > 0:06:44have had two very different strategies for dealing with it,
0:06:44 > 0:06:46the main difference being that, in Ireland, they've had
0:06:46 > 0:06:51a systematic badger culling programme in its current form since 2004.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56But is it working?
0:06:56 > 0:06:59On his farm in County Cork, Mark Chambers
0:06:59 > 0:07:03is bringing in his herd for their annual TB test.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06It's still a nerve-wracking process.
0:07:06 > 0:07:11Just one positive result could lock down his whole farm.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14So, what is happening today, Mark?
0:07:14 > 0:07:16Reading of our TB test.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20They were done on Tuesday, and today is the day we get our results.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23So results day. Is that always a bit nerve-wracking for you?
0:07:23 > 0:07:27Yes, I suppose. You just never know what can happen.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30- When did you last have a case here? - Seven years ago.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33How did it affect your business during that time?
0:07:33 > 0:07:37Well, then, you cannot sell any stock, so therefore...
0:07:37 > 0:07:39It depends on the time of year.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42If you're coming into winter time when it happened,
0:07:42 > 0:07:44and I usually sell my cows in October,
0:07:44 > 0:07:46I wouldn't be able to sell them.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48I'd have to carry more stock, which would increase
0:07:48 > 0:07:52the feed that is wanted, so it would be a disaster.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57The next few hours are crucial for Mark.
0:08:00 > 0:08:05Local vet Michael Sexton is tasked with carrying out the test today.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09OK. See the lump?
0:08:09 > 0:08:11That is 15.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15He gave each cow in Mark's herd a skin test 72 hours ago.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19Now he is back looking for lumps on the cows' necks
0:08:19 > 0:08:21to diagnose whether they have TB.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24It's nine on top, seven on the bottom.
0:08:24 > 0:08:29A reactor would be very bad news for the herd, and the cow
0:08:29 > 0:08:33will have to be slaughtered and Mark's farm will be locked down.
0:08:33 > 0:08:39- No reaction on either side. - Well, so far, so good.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41The first batch is clear.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44In the past, this area had a high incidence of TB,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47but Michael believes there has been a dramatic decrease
0:08:47 > 0:08:50since the TB eradication policy was introduced.
0:08:50 > 0:08:56In southern Ireland, the incidence from 2000 to 2011 has...
0:08:56 > 0:08:58There has been a drop of 50%.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02And how important is badger culling in the story of that decline?
0:09:02 > 0:09:05I wouldn't say badger culling specifically,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08but I think wildlife control is definitely a big part of that.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12TB is a problem for cattle and for wildlife,
0:09:12 > 0:09:16and I don't it's possible to control it in one
0:09:16 > 0:09:18- without controlling it in the other. - It seems to me
0:09:18 > 0:09:20you've got little doubt that is not
0:09:20 > 0:09:23a question of it being the fault of the cattle or the badgers.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25You've got to get on top of both of them.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28The disease afflicts both species
0:09:28 > 0:09:31and for the disease control of cattle and for badgers,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34and the welfare of cattle and for badgers, they go hand in hand.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36You can't separate them.
0:09:37 > 0:09:42The decision to cull badgers was no easy step, but here it was felt
0:09:42 > 0:09:46to be the most effective solution to an escalating problem.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50Tomas Bourke is the livestock officer at the IFA,
0:09:50 > 0:09:54the Irish equivalent of the National Farmers' Union.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56It's a horrendous sight for farmers
0:09:56 > 0:09:58and their families, to see these animals, perfectly good,
0:09:58 > 0:10:02at the peak of production, being loaded onto a truck for slaughter.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06While we have made significant progress over the past 10, 12 years,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09- it's vital that this disease is eradicated.- Put simply,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12do you think your experience in Ireland shows that culling works?
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Yes, based on our figures.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16Our figures are published annually
0:10:16 > 0:10:20and show reduction of over 50%, but obviously we need to go further.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22Why do you think there is such a difference in attitude
0:10:22 > 0:10:24to a cull here, and England?
0:10:24 > 0:10:26I suppose, from an Irish perspective, there is
0:10:26 > 0:10:29probably a closer association with the land,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32and most people are only one generation removed from it.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34There's also a better understanding, I suppose,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37of the value of agriculture to the economy.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42Because the number of tests has varied over the years,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46not everyone agrees that a 50% reduction in bovine TB
0:10:46 > 0:10:52is an accurate figure for Ireland, but between 1995 and 2010,
0:10:52 > 0:10:57the proportion of infected herds has fallen from just over 9.5%
0:10:57 > 0:11:00to just under 7.5%.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04In England, in the same period, the proportion of infected herds
0:11:04 > 0:11:09rose substantially, from less than 1% to 9%.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14Back on Mark's farm, the tests are now complete.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16- OK, Mark.- Good news?
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Good news. Clear round. That's it for another year.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23- That's all of them done, is it? - That's the whole herd. Perfect.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27- It feels good?- It feels good. Yes. A bit nervous, but we got there.
0:11:27 > 0:11:28Very good to have that feeling.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32- OK. Let them out. - Are you ready, Robert?
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Well, good news for Mark, and that's a happy ending we're hearing
0:11:40 > 0:11:42more and more often across Ireland,
0:11:42 > 0:11:45but to what extent is that down to the culling of badgers?
0:11:45 > 0:11:49Or are other factors involved, like bio-security amongst the cattle?
0:11:49 > 0:11:52That's what I'll be finding out later.
0:11:56 > 0:12:01Fife, a historic Scottish county, romantically known as a kingdom.
0:12:01 > 0:12:06Right at its heart is the Royal Burgh of Falkland.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Surrounded by the handsome wilderness of the hills
0:12:08 > 0:12:12and flatlands of Fife, Falkland was thrust into the limelight
0:12:12 > 0:12:13in the 16th century.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15This place, Falkland Palace,
0:12:15 > 0:12:19was built as a playground for the Kings and Queens of Scotland.
0:12:21 > 0:12:27For around 200 years, the palace was visited by the House of Stuart,
0:12:27 > 0:12:29and this is the family hall of fame.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32Be warned, there are a lot of Jameses.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34That is James V.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38He ruled Scotland between 1513 and 1542,
0:12:38 > 0:12:42and it was his father, James IV, who started building this palace,
0:12:42 > 0:12:44before James V took it on and finished it off.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48When James V died in his chamber here at the palace, his daughter,
0:12:48 > 0:12:53who was only six days old, became Mary, Queen of Scots.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Mary was followed by her son, James VI of Scotland,
0:12:56 > 0:12:59who went on to become James I of England.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02I told you there were a lot of Jameses.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08This is where the Stuarts came to relax and unwind
0:13:08 > 0:13:11in the comfortable surroundings of a Renaissance palace,
0:13:11 > 0:13:15a French-style chateau in the Fife countryside.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17But what drew them to Falkland?
0:13:17 > 0:13:20I'm about to get a bird's-eye view with palace manager Wendy Purvis.
0:13:22 > 0:13:23Oh, wow.
0:13:23 > 0:13:29- Wendy, this is a stunning view.- Yes. So, all that you can see out there
0:13:29 > 0:13:33would have been the hunting park within the forest
0:13:33 > 0:13:37that Mary would have appreciated. She could have even stood up here
0:13:37 > 0:13:40and watched the hunt as it progressed out in the grounds there.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44Hundreds of acres of forest playground.
0:13:44 > 0:13:49In this park, the Stuarts used to hawk, hunting with birds of prey.
0:13:49 > 0:13:54Today, falconer Stewart Miller is keeping the sport of hawking alive.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57In the palace grounds, Stewart, Squeak the young Harris hawk
0:13:57 > 0:13:59and Angus the pony are in training.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03I'm joining the team to provide a moving target,
0:14:03 > 0:14:05though I might come to regret that.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09Hawks hunt by sight, and so that our bait moves like a real animal,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12I'm going to drag it on a piece of string.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15For this training exercise, I'm literally the bait.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19For this to be successful, the hawk needs to land on the bait.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Oh, no!
0:14:22 > 0:14:26He's up in the tree, look. The tree is not the bait.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29I'm going to offer him some food, and here he comes.
0:14:29 > 0:14:34I need to get the horse to stand still. Good boy.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36- That was brilliant.- Stand.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39Don't worry about it, Squeak, we'll give it another go.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43- His coming, he's coming! - Stop, stop, stop.- Oh!- That's good.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46That's more like it.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50- Yay!- OK.- That is so exciting.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54He has literally spread his wings to say, "This is mine. Hands off."
0:14:54 > 0:14:56This is called mantling.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59It's like birds of prey do in the wild - they mantle over their prey -
0:14:59 > 0:15:03- and what I'm going to try and do here is offer him a swap.- OK, right.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06- A bit of a trade. - This is a tricky part.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Oh, wow. Oh, brilliant.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12Luckily, he is quite happy to step up.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15You can see he is still mantling, because he doesn't want us
0:15:15 > 0:15:17to steal what I'm offering him now.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20Stewart, you must be delighted with that
0:15:20 > 0:15:23because he's done exactly what you wanted him to do.
0:15:23 > 0:15:28Yeah, it's the beginning of his training and, really,
0:15:28 > 0:15:30he'll just come on in leaps and bounds.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33Now he knows what the rabbit is, he'll know to chase it,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36- and when he does chase it he gets a reward.- Yeah. Right.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Time for me to try my hand as the huntress.
0:15:39 > 0:15:40That's good, that's right position.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Just bring your elbow in a little bit, that's it. Good to go.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45- Brilliant.- How does it feel?
0:15:45 > 0:15:48I've never held a hawk before so I'm fascinated by Squeak.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51No offence, Angus! Sitting here feels quite...
0:15:51 > 0:15:53I do, I feel very regal,
0:15:53 > 0:15:57but I can't imagine galloping through the forest.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59There you go.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Even with hawking and hunting,
0:16:01 > 0:16:05life for the Royals in the 16th century could get dull.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07They were always looking for entertainment.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11Luckily, a new sport had recently come to Britain from France,
0:16:11 > 0:16:15and had found a place in the grounds of the palace.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18This is a real tennis court, also known as royal tennis.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22It's the oldest surviving course of its kind in the country
0:16:22 > 0:16:23and here today,
0:16:23 > 0:16:27I'm going to be taking on a rather nerve-wracking opponent.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31It's not Andy Murray, but I am going to be playing another Scot,
0:16:31 > 0:16:33one who is a little older
0:16:33 > 0:16:38and who is about to make an incredible comeback on this court...
0:16:40 > 0:16:42You serve, Your Majesty.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44..Mary, Queen of Scots.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48Royal tennis is the precursor to modern lawn tennis,
0:16:48 > 0:16:51an intricate game where the ball is bounced off the court walls
0:16:51 > 0:16:53as well as the floor.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56It's a sort of cross between a tennis ball and a squash ball,
0:16:56 > 0:17:00so the bounce is incredibly unpredictable.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06Our Mary, Queen of Scots is also the palace's education officer,
0:17:06 > 0:17:08Aisha Al-Sadie.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10Good game, Your Majesty.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13- Thank you for coming to play with me.- Tell me a bit about this court.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Is this the court that Mary, Queen of Scots would have played in?
0:17:16 > 0:17:19It was built by her father in 1539, so she would have played here
0:17:19 > 0:17:22quite a lot, because she was fond of playing tennis.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24It was unusual for anybody to be playing tennis at this time,
0:17:24 > 0:17:27especially women playing, so Mary was quite a rebel,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29especially in breeches,
0:17:29 > 0:17:31because women weren't meant to show their legs,
0:17:31 > 0:17:33so the Court found it quite controversial
0:17:33 > 0:17:35for her to play in trousers.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37- Shall we call it a day, Your Majesty?- Yes.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Thank you for coming to play with me today.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43- So, what would you do now, Queen? - I think I will go and rest.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46And eat lots of food.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50Ah, a queen after my own heart.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53The perfect end to a Royal day out.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Apparently, she liked hot buttered crumpets after a game.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59I quite fancy one of those...
0:18:03 > 0:18:07Now, earlier, Tom was in Ireland, finding out whether nearly a decade
0:18:07 > 0:18:11of systematic badger culling has reduced the spread of bovine TB.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14But with trial culls in England planned for this summer,
0:18:14 > 0:18:18are there any clear lessons we can learn from the Irish experience?
0:18:23 > 0:18:26TB is a serious problem in our livestock.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29But while the incidence of the disease has dramatically
0:18:29 > 0:18:35increased in England, in Ireland, there has been a significant fall.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39On the surface, it looks like badger culling is working here.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41But while the statistics look good,
0:18:41 > 0:18:43there are still plenty of people who disagree.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50Conn Flynn works for the Irish Wildlife Trust.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54He believes firmly that culling badgers is not the answer.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Tom, this is baby badger Roisin and the fox is Twiglet.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04- Keen to escape.- She is keen to escape. Out you come.
0:19:05 > 0:19:10'One of Conn's chief concerns is the Irish method of culling badgers using snares.'
0:19:10 > 0:19:13You grab hold of Roisin there and I shall show you.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16OK. Leave me holding the baby.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19So this is the device that is used in the Irish culling programme.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21So it's a snare.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24In Euro-speak, it is a body-stopped restraint,
0:19:24 > 0:19:27so obviously the badgers are lumbering into these things.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29These are set around the badger setts
0:19:29 > 0:19:31and then they get caught in them
0:19:31 > 0:19:34so it can be a matter of time where they're actually trapped in it
0:19:34 > 0:19:36and then they're dispatched with a rifle bullet.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38So that isn't supposed to tighten round the neck
0:19:38 > 0:19:41and actually throttle them. It is supposed to just stop them, is it?
0:19:41 > 0:19:44It's supposed to hold them in place until somebody can come along and shoot them.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47'Snare won't be used in England, where culling will be carried out
0:19:47 > 0:19:51'by free-shooting or by caging and then shooting.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55'But, like many people who oppose the English call,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58'Conn doesn't believe that badgers are the root of the problem.'
0:19:58 > 0:20:00I'm wearing a "not guilty" T-shirt here today,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03because we feel that they are not the main problem.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06They are a part of the problem. I wouldn't argue with the fact that there is an issue there.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10It is just that they are being held up as the big factor here and they are a very small factor.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16'If, as Conn believes, badgers are a minor factor in spreading TB,
0:20:16 > 0:20:20'how come infection rates have dropped since the cull was brought in?'
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Well, according to the Irish government, a major factor
0:20:23 > 0:20:27in tackling the disease is their rigorous TB testing regime.
0:20:27 > 0:20:32While in the UK, we only test low-risk herds every four years,
0:20:32 > 0:20:36here in Ireland, all cows are tested annually.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41There is also a sophisticated system for tracking the movement of animals,
0:20:41 > 0:20:46and farmers are being encouraged to all they can to make their farms TB-proof.
0:20:48 > 0:20:54The vet Michael Sexton believes that increased biosecurity has made a significance difference.
0:20:54 > 0:20:59What can farmers do to make it less likely that their herd will catch TB?
0:20:59 > 0:21:02I think, employing good biosecurity, by containment policies.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06Good perimeter fencing at the farm level, whereby
0:21:06 > 0:21:09they can prevent their herd coming into contact with
0:21:09 > 0:21:12animals from other herds and other wildlife.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16And if farmers do all those things, what difference can it make?
0:21:16 > 0:21:18It has to help.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22A few years ago, biosecurity was not part of the lexicon.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Biosecurity is the buzzword now.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27Every farmer is very much aware of it.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31'Improvements in biosecurity have helped,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34'but exactly how much is impossible to calculate,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37'especially when you have a cull going on at the same time.'
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Despite this success, in Ireland,
0:21:41 > 0:21:46they are now looking to develop a new strategy to combat the disease - vaccination.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49Already used in a piecemeal way in England
0:21:49 > 0:21:52and the main line of defence in Wales, it has now become
0:21:52 > 0:21:57the focus for the next step in Ireland's fight against TB.
0:21:57 > 0:22:03The Irish government is making huge investments in a TB vaccination programme for badgers.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06And now, to speed things up, they are trying something new.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12Rather than injecting badgers, scientists are now trying to see
0:22:12 > 0:22:15if they will eat the vaccine instead.
0:22:15 > 0:22:20Doctor Nicola Marples is head of the Department of Zoology at Trinity College.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22She's trialling these new methods
0:22:22 > 0:22:24and has permission to dig near the sett.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27What we have got here is the depth that the badgers will be able
0:22:27 > 0:22:29to smell the bait, and go down to.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33They are really a digging creature, so they are very happy to do that.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36They will smell the bait and dig right down to it.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38A dog passing by might smell the bait because it has got
0:22:38 > 0:22:42a very good sense of smell, but it wouldn't dig that deep.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44OK. So what we're going to do is put the baits in now.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48The baits look really weird. These are flapjacks for badgers.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50They are basically made of flapjack.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53- They are made of golden syrup and oats.- OK.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57- But do oral vaccines for badgers work?- Yes.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01There is very good evidence now that if you can get the badger
0:23:01 > 0:23:05to eat the vaccine, it will actually protect them against TB.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08So you have little doubt that vaccination could shortly be
0:23:08 > 0:23:10a useful part of a TB control strategy?
0:23:11 > 0:23:14Absolutely. I have very little doubt about that.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19'Scientists who have high hopes for the vaccination programme
0:23:19 > 0:23:22'and the authorities are optimistic that
0:23:22 > 0:23:26'if it is used together with culling and improved biosecurity,
0:23:26 > 0:23:29'it can only help reduce levels of the disease even further.'
0:23:30 > 0:23:34So, is this the way forward in England too?
0:23:34 > 0:23:36There are clearly differences between England
0:23:36 > 0:23:41and Ireland in terms of wildlife, farming and public opinion,
0:23:41 > 0:23:44but their very active TB eradication policy
0:23:44 > 0:23:47does seem to be working here.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51And many farmers in England will be looking to our government,
0:23:51 > 0:23:54hoping that they take a lead from across the Irish Sea.