The National Trust is facing conflict with its own tenant farmers after saying it would not to co-operate with planned badger culls unless forced to.
The trust, which owns almost 60,000 hectares in Bovine TB hotspots, has attacked plans for a targeted cull in Wales as counterproductive and ineffective.
Now the organisation, which claims to have a "foot in both camps" on the contentious issue - as both a landowner and conservation body - says it will not join in any voluntary cull.
It added that it will actively encourage its tenant farmers to do likewise but conceded that, in many cases, it does not have the power to force them.
The organisation's comments follow the announcement of a pilot cull by the Welsh Assembly Government this month.
Although specific details have not been canvassed it is thought likely to be in the south and west of Wales where the trust owns about 5,500 hectares. It is not clear whether the scheme will be voluntary.
The pilot could pave the way for a much larger cull in Wales.
No decision on culling in England - where the trust owns about 53,000 hectares in areas considered to be TB hotspots - but its position could also prove a major obstacle to any cull there.
The Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) described the remarks as a "political" attempt to stop the cull motivated by its members views and the NFU said it is "surprised and disappointed" by the trust's stance.
The trust insisted that it is not opposed to culling "per se" but wants a "strategic approach" which includes testing, vaccination and biosecurity measures.