Welsh Government minister Alun Davies visited north Pembrokeshire on Monday to see the badger vaccination process in action.

Mr Davies, the Minister for Natural Resources and Food, visited Pengelli Forest, which lies within the Intensive Action Area (IAA) where the second year of the Welsh Government’s five-year badger vaccination project is underway.

The vaccination project is part of the Welsh Government's wider programme of work to eradicate TB from cattle in Wales and aims to develop a degree of immunity to TB within the badger population.

In the first year of the vaccination project the Welsh Government caught and vaccinated 1,424 badgers, while provisional figures indicate that more than 500 badgers have been successfully vaccinated so far this year.

Mr Davies said: “It is important that I took the opportunity to visit the Pengelli Forest to see how the vaccination project is carried out.

“Participation in the project is voluntary and I am very grateful for the ongoing cooperation and assistance that has been shown by farmers and landowners across Wales.

“We are continuing to carefully monitor the results of vaccination, and of our whole eradication programme, to ensure we are making good progress towards our ultimate goal of a TB free Wales.”

The vaccination work is undertaken in cycles and is expected to continue until the end of October. Vaccination cycles lasting about three weeks will be required in ten to 12 different localities to cover the whole IAA. The first two weeks in any locality involves landowner liaison and preparatory work, with vaccination taking place in the third week.

Vaccination is carried out by employees from the Welsh Government who have successfully completed The Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) course relating to the cage trapping and vaccination of badgers by injection.