WILDLIFE-lovers have been going on patrol to save the lives of badgers after licences for badger culling were extended to Oxfordshire for the first time.

People concerned for their safety have been getting out in the countryside and checking up on their local badger setts and checking for shot and injured animals

Oxfordshire Badger Group (OBG) said that since the cull started in September it has been getting more reports of blocked setts across the county.

Volunteers from all walks of lifehave joined legal patrol, sticking to footpaths to look for injured badgers.

A spokesperson for the wildlife group commented: "We would like to say thank you to those local people who have been going out legally, walking footpaths day and night checking their setts and looking out for wounded badgers.

"Most badgers shot in the badger cull are shot from a distance at night.

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"This method called 'controlled' or 'free shooting' was found to be inhumane by the Government’s own expert panel in 2015.

"Many badgers were found to suffer lingering deaths, often taking more than five minutes to die."

The group also pointed out that there is a humane alternative to the killings, arguing the cull is 'outdated, ineffective and immoral'.

OBG also reminded farmers that they offer free badger vaccination and has appealed for funding to increase its work.

Trained volunteers from the group have been vaccinating badgers in the county this summer against bovine tuberculosis for a second year.

The animals can spread the disease among farm animals leading to devastating consequences for farmers so in 2013 the government announced pilot culls.

Since then, more than 100,000 have been killed.