British musician Brian May, the guitarist for Queen, gestures as he stands on a cherry picker to launch the national Team Badger campaign in London on Sept. 19, 2012.
LONDON (AP) — There's a battle over badgers in Britain — and rock star Brian May is facing off against the country's farmers.
For animal-loving Britons, the burrowing black-and-white creatures are a beloved part of the landscape. But to cattle farmers they are a menace, spreading bovine tuberculosis, a disease that can devastate herds.
This week the government approved a plan to kill badgers in some parts to slow the spread of infection.
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May, the Queen guitarist, belongs to a coalition of animal welfare groups who are determined to stop the cull, which he calls "horrific."
They have gathered over 55,000 signatures and hope to convince the government to scrap the idea.
May said Wednesday he's confident "the public will speak and they won't allow the government to get away with this."
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