The Mirror can reveal the true cost of killing each badger last year in the government’s controversial cull was more than £7,500.
Last year’s cull saw 588 badgers killed at a total cost of £4,459,000 – a staggering £7,583 per animal.
The cull began in 2013 and has cost a total of £16.7m so far – including a one-off £2.5m cost for delaying the planned start in 2012.