With the proposed slaughter of some 100,000 badgers (a.k.a Britsh Pandas!) expected to start within a week the campaign is hotting up.

The campaign against the cull is set to be the biggest animal rights protest since foxhunting was banned in 2004 and has united the country's biggest wildlife, countryside and animal welfare groups, hunt saboteurs and anti-vivisection campaigners.

With the proposed slaughter of some 100,000 badgers (a.k.a Britsh Pandas!) expected to start within a week the campaign is hotting up.

The Guardian reports that the campaign against the cull is set to be the biggest animal rights protest since foxhunting was banned in 2004 and has united the country's biggest wildlife, countryside and animal welfare groups, hunt saboteurs and anti-vivisection campaigners.

The Coalition of Badger Action Groups has promised direct action to disrupt any cull: "We will be out in the fields before and during the cull, stopping and making citizen's arrests on marksmen/women when we can, filming, rescuing injured badgers and neutralising bait points when we find them."

A Free Party is announced for Saturday 29th October in the heart of the 'cull' area in Gloucestershire. The dawn to dusk night of fun and action takes place between Newent and the Forest of Dean.

On Sunday 2nd October groups/causes of all kinds will be marching against the Tory Conference in Birmingham. Many hundreds of animal rights/wildlife campaigners are expected to march against the repeal of the hunting act, against the badger cull & for a wild animal circus ban (amongst other things!)

Meanwhile, in Nottingham, a protest planned for Thursday 27th October has been brought forward to 1pm to maximise support from lunchtime shoppers and workers on lunchbreaks. Meeting at a badger campaign stall at the Lions at 12noon, the protest moves to Tesco's on Angel Row (opposite the Central Library) for 1pm, to highlight the failure of Tesco's to boycott milk from the cull zones.

Nottingham Hunt Saboteurs are also calling for anyone is interested in surveying potential cull zonesto contact them.