A novel approach for trap-side restraint and blood sampling in European badgers

Interventions to manage disease in wild animals are challenging, being characterised by sparse information on the distribution of infection and a limited ability to target infected individuals. In parts of Europe, the persistence of bovine tuberculosis (bTB caused by Mycobacterium bovis) in cattle is linked to reservoirs of infection in wild populations of European badgers (Meles meles). In this study, we describe the development of a method for the safe restraint and blood sampling of badgers in the field without recourse to anaesthesia. The approach utilises a specially designed cage to physically restrain badgers and a protocol for obtaining a blood sample from the metatarsal pad. In field trials, blood samples were successfully obtained on 30 of 33 occasions, and all samples produced a valid trap-side result using a rapid serological test. Same day examination of restrained animals detected no injuries other than the blood sampling incision site, and there was no evidence of a negative effect of restraint on subsequent recapture probability. The approach negates the need for field anaesthesia to obtain a diagnostic sample, thus eliminating the risks of associated adverse effects, reducing costs and time before release back into the wild. These advantages could expand current options for surveillance and disease control interventions in badgers by permitting more efficient trap-side sampling and testing.