Page 9 - Clinical Connections - Summer 2023
P. 9
Pathology
LAMB PREDATION: WHO DUNNIT?
Henny Martineau, Head of Veterinary Forensic Pathology and Lecturer in Anatomic Pathology
e have been collecting data from but badgers may also play a role.
sheep farmers on the predation of Since the 1992 Protection of Badgers Act,
W lambs by wild animals in the UK. there has been an increase in the badger
Predation is defined as 鈥渢he act of a predator population and, somewhat unsurprisingly,
species catching, killing, and subsequently an increase in claims that they kill lambs.
eating parts of their prey.鈥� Predation of However, there are no recorded patterns
lambs by wildlife not only causes detrimental of predation by badgers in the literature.
suffering to lambs and ewes but can also Therefore, another aim of this study was to
have a significant emotional and economic find what criteria farmers use to decide if a
impact on farmers. lamb has been killed by a fox or a badger. A lamb with missing head and tail, which can
The aim of the research is to improve the One way of helping to identify the indicate that it was scavenged by a fox
current understanding of the incidence of predator species is to perform a post
lamb predation throughout the UK, identify mortem examination on the dead lamb. At
risk factors involved, and find out more post mortem, the first thing to determine is