Brian May, co-founding guitarist of Queen, as well as being known as one of the best rock guitarists, has three other great passions: astrophysics, gardening and… badgers.
Brian May is of course known for his guitar (the famous self-built Red Special) and his sound, which made the Queen — the band he co-founded with Freddy Mercury — famous and immortal. But Brian May, as well as being an artist, is also a man of science and a committed animal rights advocate.
Indeed, before devoting himself entirely to music, he graduated with honours in physics from Imperial College London and, just a few years ago, completed the doctorate in astronomy he had been forced to abandon in order to dedicate himself fully to his music career, given Queen's rapid rise to fame in the 1970s. On the subject he has also written books such as Bang: the complete history of the Universe (together with Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott) and has been appointed Honorary Rector of the University of Liverpool.
But astrophysics is not Brian May's only "sideline" passion. There are also his campaigns for the protection and preservation of both animals and the environment. In particular, his campaign in defence of small wild animals such as foxes and badgers. On 30 December he also received the Peta UK's Person of the Year 2012 award, which Peta,
the non-profit organisation supporting animal rights, presents every year to whoever has distinguished themselves through their commitment to animal welfare causes.
In particular, May founded the organisation Save Me in 2010 (named after the famous Queen track from the 1980 album The Game), set up in response to the
Conservative David Cameron's electoral proposal to repeal the Hunting Act, which in 2004 had made hunting wild animals with dogs illegal once and for all. The guitarist subsequently transformed his property in Surrey into a wildlife sanctuary that is home to hedgehogs, badgers, tawny owls and foxes.
In 2010 Save Me received the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Award and, during 2012, the organisation distinguished itself by joining the Team Badger campaign (a coalition of the leading organisations active in the United Kingdom in defence of animal rights and welfare), with a commitment to opposing the badger culling ordered by the British Government in an attempt to halt the bovine tuberculosis epidemic on farms.
Collecting the award, Brian May stated: "I think the human race has a very poor way of relating to the rest of the creatures on this planet. For example, no value whatsoever is given to the badger, which is a wonderful creature," while Mimi Bekhechi of Peta, on the reasons that led the organisation to present the award to the guitarist, said: "Brian May is tireless in his commitment to saving Britain's badgers. His tenacity and courage are a source of inspiration to good people."