Tributes to High Peak 'badger champion' who died after collapse
Ms Bailey was working as a nurse when she became intrigued by the badgers in her garden and started to feed them. She then started a "badger watch", inviting people to her home to see the badgers, for a small fee, which she donated to the High Peak Badger Group, her stepson Gareth Wilson said. Ms Bailey later became a trustee of the animal welfare charity the Badger Trust and lead vaccinator for the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.She led pioneering vaccination projects to help reduce the risk of the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in the badger population and the spread to cattle. The UK government has allowed the culling of badgers under licence since 2013 to tackle the spread of bTB. Mr Wilson said his stepmother's work as a conservationist "demonstrated to government that there was an alternative to culling".
'A special power'
In 2018, Ms Bailey won the Animal Action Award by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) in recognition of her work. "She was an amazing person," Mr Wilson said. "She was the life and the soul of any room that she was in."She was a fun, loving, happy person." He added throughout Ms Bailey's life and achievements, she always said she "wouldn't be able to do it without all the volunteers". Ms Bailey also managed to persuade family and friends to get involved in her vaccination work. "I even found myself digging traps," Mr Wilson added. "She had a special power to get people involved and get people interested."
Her partner David Wilson also helped dig traps and picked up tasks alongside Ms Bailey. Tracey Bailey, the conservationist's sister, said while recovering from breast cancer treatment, Ms Bailey got her out of the house to help with vaccinating. "That was my first outing after all my treatment - badgering with Debbie - and I've been involved ever since," she said. The 60-year-old added: "I'm just so utterly proud of her. "It's going to take a while for it to sink in what she's left behind."
'Legacy of care'
A number of animal and wildlife charities have paid tribute to Ms Bailey since she died. The Badger Trust called Ms Bailey a "true badger champion". In a tribute on the charity's website, it said: "With quiet determination and a generous heart, she transformed passion into meaningful action, leaving a lasting legacy of care, compassion, and change."Above all, Debbie will be remembered for her kindness." Ms Bailey leaves behind her partner, two stepsons and a stepdaughter, her parents, sister and her brother. Her funeral will be held on Wednesday.
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