Guidance

Bovine TB: badger vaccination training

How to get trained to set cage traps for, vaccinate and mark badgers.

From:
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Animal and Plant Health Agency and Natural England
Published
24 March 2015
Last updated
3 July 2024 — See all updates

If you want to cage trap badgers, you must have a ‘certificate of attendance’. To get this certificate, you must complete module 2 ‘cage trapping for badger vaccination’ (or other Natural-England-approved badger trapping training).

If you want to vaccinate and mark badgers, you must have a ‘certificate of competence’. To get this certificate, you must complete module 3 ‘badger vaccination’.

Once you have the right certificate, you can apply to register for the class licences to cage-trap and mark badgers for bovine TB vaccination (CL48 and CL49).

If you’re not eligible to register for CL48 and CL49 licences, you can apply to Natural England for an individual licence to take and mark badgers to enable vaccination to prevent the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bovine TB) in cattle.

You must have a licence, or someone in your group must add you to their licence, before you can trap or vaccinate badgers.

For experienced vaccinators, you can complete the ‘train the trainer’ course which allows you to provide training to new vaccinators.

Badger vaccination training modules

There are 3 training modules that teach you how to trap and vaccinate badgers. The modules are:

Module 1: Supporting skills for badger vaccination

This is a 1 day module that mainly takes place out in the field.

This module is not assessed. Your course provider will send you your attendance certificate.

This module teaches you how to:

  • survey and identify badger field signs
  • map read and produce survey maps
  • carry out fieldwork safely
  • follow biosecurity guidelines during surveying
  • record badger sett activity and other field signs
  • interpret survey maps
  • survey different habitat types

It does not teach you how to:

  • site traps or dig in
  • set traps
  • vaccinate
  • apply for your licence
  • comply with rules on trapping and vaccinating badgers

Module 2: Cage trapping for badger vaccination

This is a half-day module that takes place in the classroom and out in the field.

To get your certificate of training, you must pass a written and practical assessment. Your course provider will send you your certificate.

Once you complete this course, you can apply to be listed as a cage trapper on a licence to take and mark badgers to enable vaccination to prevent the spread of bovine TB in cattle.

The licence holder must contact Natural England to add you to their licence as an ‘additional authorised person’ before you can start to set traps.

Contact Natural England by email: btbvaccination@naturalengland.org.uk if you have previous experience as a cage trapper - you may not have to complete this module.

This module teaches you how to:

  • look for badger field signs
  • comply with the rules on badger trapping
  • carry out fieldwork safely
  • follow biosecurity guidelines when trapping
  • estimate the number of traps to deploy
  • understand where to site badger traps
  • set traps
  • pre-bait
  • trapping welfare
  • safely identify and release a previously vaccinated badger

This module does not teach you how to:

  • carry out a field survey
  • map read or produce survey maps
  • mark badgers
  • vaccinate badgers

Module 3: Badger vaccination

This module takes place over 3 days in a classroom and out in the field. You must have completed module 2 (or other Natural England approved badger trapping training) to attend this module.

To get your ‘certificate of competence’, you must pass a written and practical assessment. Your course provider will send you your certificate.

Once you complete this course, you can apply for a licence or get added to a licence as an additional authorised person.

This module teaches you how to:

  • comply with rules for badger trapping and vaccination
  • carry out fieldwork safely
  • follow biosecurity guidelines when you’re vaccinating
  • handle vaccines - how to store them, use the cold chain system, and keep records
  • reconstitute and use vaccines
  • assess badger welfare pre and post vaccination
  • vaccinate and mark wild badgers - you can practice this during training

This module does not teach you how to:

  • carry out a field survey
  • look for badger field signs
  • map read or produce survey maps
  • estimate the number of traps to deploy
  • understand where or how to site badger traps
  • pre-bait
  • set badger traps

Book the training

To book a place on the training modules, contact your closest training provider:

If you wish to become a training provider, you can complete the ‘train the trainer’ course.

Funding and cost of modules

Training costs vary. Contact your closest training provider for their prices.

To discuss potential funding for your vaccination project, you can contact Defra at badger.vaccination@defra.gov.uk.

Train the trainer course

This is a 4 day course that takes place in the classroom and out in the field.

This course will allow you to provide training to new vaccinators. The course is aimed at new training providers across industry and wildlife groups to set up regional training hubs. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and Natural England will have oversight of these training providers.

You must have at least one year of practical badger trapping and vaccination experience to attend this course. To express your interest and check your eligibility contact Natural England by email: btbvaccination@naturalengland.org.uk.

You’ll be assessed and audited before being approved.

Once approved, you’ll be able to deliver modules 1 to 3 of the training.

This course teaches you how to:

  • deliver training on badger welfare assessment, vaccine handling and record keeping requirements
  • ensure the health and safety of trainees
  • complete training course administration, including data protection and pre-course health declarations
  • field requirements for hosting training
  • assess the competence of trainees
  • run classroom training, including practical vaccine handling session
  • train in the field

Contact

If you have any general queries about badger vaccination training, contact APHA.

Email: badgervaccinetraining@apha.gov.uk
Telephone: 0208 026 2383

Updates to this page

Published 24 March 2015
Last updated 3 July 2024 + show all updates

  1. For funding information you now need to contact badger.vaccination@defra.gov.uk. Cost of training is variable, and you need to contact your local training provider for costs.

  2. Removed Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust from the training providers list, and included locations for training providers.

  3. Added Badger Ecology Ltd to list of training providers.

  4. Added a link to the new licences to cage-trap and mark badgers for bovine TB vaccination (CL48 and CL49), and information on the certificate of attendance needed to cage trap badgers.

  5. Added Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust to the training providers list.

  6. Added Zoological Society of London (ZSL) to the training providers list.

  7. Update guidance to include details on training providers.

  8. Updated name and content of modules 1 to 3 and added a new section Train the trainer.

  9. Added a link to the licence for trapping and vaccinating badgers to prevent the spread of bovine TB in cattle.

  10. Updated as the BEV2 scheme is open for new applications until 25 January 2019.

  11. Content updated to show training modules to trap and vaccinate badgers for BEVS 2

  12. Update on course availability

  13. First published.

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