Hunt monitors are urgently calling for people to oppose the Ilminster Beagle Festival
The Ilminster Beagle Festival is well underway in south Somerset. The secret event is well-guarded by organisers, and is rarely seen by the public because of its remote location. Hunt monitors are calling for people to oppose the last few days of the meet, which runs until Sunday 12 March. Beagling is the cruel sport […]
Hunt sabs ‘ecstatic beyond belief’ as Lanarkshire & Renfrewshire Foxhounds folds
Hunt Saboteurs are celebrating as news comes in that another hunt in Scotland has folded. The Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire Foxhounds announced its closure just six weeks after Scotland changed its hunting laws. The country now houses just eight foxhound packs and one minkhound pack. Glasgow Hunt Saboteurs, which has consistently sabbed the hunt, said on […]
Police still appealing for information about gang that sets foxes on fire
A group of four men, thought to be between 18 and 20 years old, has been torturing foxes in Newham, east London. Police are calling to the public for any information about them. In the early hours of Monday 27 February, police were called to the scene after screaming was heard, initially thought to be […]
Victory for foxes as another hunt bites the dust
The Meynell and South Staffordshire Hunt has announced that it is folding, and its staff will be made redundant on 1 May. The welcome news shows that the hunting industry is facing an uphill battle to survive. Hunt saboteurs had already witnessed the hunt saying that it would disband on Friday 3 March. But the […]
Essex Police serves hunt with Community Protection Warning
Anti-hunting campaigners and hunt saboteurs scored another victory on 3 March when the Essex with Farmers and Union Hunt was issued with a Community Protection Warning (CPW). Essex Police tweeted: “RET [Rural Engagement Team] have issued a Community Protection Warning to a hunt that operates in Essex. Following reports of trespassing and other issues affecting […]
BREAKING: Hunt’s governing body permanently expels the Avon Vale Hunt
The British Hound Sports Association (BHSA) has permanently expelled the Avon Vale Hunt. The body had previously suspended the hunt after gruesome footage showed hunt members digging out two foxes. Hunt sabs say that this is “the end of the Avon Vale as they exist.” The video, which was leaked and published by the Hunt […]
Join the protest against the appointment of Wiltshire Police’s new Rural Crime Team officer
Wiltshire Police recently announced its new recruit to the Rural Crime team, Cheryl Knight. She has connections with two notorious hunts, and has posted photos of herself beagling with another hunt. Hunt saboteurs and campaigners are gearing up to protest her appointment, and they want you to join them. You can read our detailed article […]
Leicestershire Police can’t decide whether it has powers to stop illegal hunting
Hunt saboteurs were out in numbers on Saturday 18 February, monitoring and sabbing the Cottesmore Hunt. The sabs witnessed the hunt chasing a fox in full view of Leicestershire police. Following the event, the police stated to Protect The Wild that officers had no powers on the ground to intervene and stop the hunt. Northants […]
BREAKING: Three arrested after fox killed in residential garden
Norfolk Police has announced that it has arrested three members of the West Norfolk Foxhounds after a fox was brutally murdered by hounds in a family’s garden. Two of the men have been arrested on suspicion of hunting wild mammals with dogs, criminal damage and having a dog dangerously out of control. The third man […]
Natural England asks for public comments on more badger culling
On 20 February, Natural England launched an online survey, giving the public the opportunity to comment after it had “received applications or expressions of interest for a Supplementary Badger Disease Control Licence within the counties of Herefordshire, Hampshire, Wiltshire and Avon.” But if you’re about to click on the survey, don’t for one moment think that […]
Footage shows hounds out of control as fox is torn apart in garden
Week in, week out, news comes in of hunting hounds that are completely out of control. And now a family in Norfolk has shared footage of the moment when the West Norfolk Foxhounds’ dogs ran into their garden, cornered a fox, then tore up the poor creature on the patio. The incident, which took place […]
Wiltshire Police employs hunter as new Rural Crime Team officer
Wiltshire Police’s Rural Crime Team has recently announced its new recruit, PC Cheryl Knight. But Knight has links to both the Beaufort Hunt and the Avon Vale Hunt. One of the Rural Crime Team’s main remits is to investigate and prosecute illegal hunting, and the police department is currently investigating one of the hunts that […]
In his new TV show, Jeremy Clarkson laments that you can’t shoot or gas badgers
The badger is Britain’s most persecuted animal. It is attacked on many fronts – by the government during its annual badger cull, by badger baiters, and by the fox hunting community. But in his new programme, Clarkson’s Farm, Jeremy Clarkson spouts dangerous lies about the creatures. And now the Badger Trust has hit out at […]
BREAKING: Cottesmore huntsman arrested after sab is trampled
On 14 February 2023, police arrested Cottesmore huntsman Sam Jones after he trampled a hunt saboteur with his horse. The incident took place on 11 February. Both Hertfordshire and Northants Hunt Saboteurs were on the ground, trying to prevent the hunt from making a kill that day. They witnessed foxes being chased, hares bolting, a […]
Four Burrow Hunt: hunting hounds fall into mineshaft – again
Cornwall’s Four Burrow Hunt has shown once again that it isn’t able to take care of its hounds after its dogs fell down a mineshaft for a second time. Fire and Rescue teams, as well as the police, were called to the scene near Porkellis on 7 February 2023. The hounds were safely rescued. Four […]
Wynnstay Hunt supporter filmed giving nazi salute to hunt monitor
The Wynnstay Hunt’s questionable reputation reached a new low on 7 February 2023 when a prominent hunt supporter harassed a hunt monitor, repeatedly performing the Nazi salute at her. Lesley, a Cheshire Monitors volunteer, was on foot, observing and filming the hunt. Field riders blocked her way, while a man called Ian Jones continually talked […]
Despite conviction fox killer Ollie Finnegan working with Cheshire Hunt
Huntsman Ollie Finnegan is, perhaps, one of the best examples of criminality in the world of fox hunting. Despite being convicted under the Hunting Act, the Cheshire Hunt continues to employ him to murder foxes. On 4 February 2023, Cheshire Against Blood Sports witnessed the hunt killing a fox, and hunt staff “shoving the fox’s […]
Badger baiting: yet another arrest made
It’s thought that more than 10,000 badgers are murdered by baiters every year in the UK. And on 25 January yet another man was arrested on suspicion of badger baiting in North Yorkshire. Yorkshire Live reported that the man, in his twenties, was found with three injured dogs. The news website reported: “Police found a […]
Joseph Whittam: terrier abuser who keeps offending
Repeat animal abuser, Joseph Whittam, has been jailed for a second time after his address was raided. Whittam was banned from keeping animals for life in 2018 after gruesome footage was found on his phone, where he encouraged his dogs to rip a cat to pieces. The video was described as “blood curdling” by the […]
GUILTY: Terrierman convicted under Protection of Badgers Act
On 27 January 2023, Devon County Hunt Saboteurs (DCHS) announced that sabs had secured yet another conviction. Spooners and West Dartmoor Hunt terrierman Mark Harris was found guilty under the Protection of Badgers Act after sabs caught terriermen digging out a badger sett. DCHS said: “Sabs’ actions on the day not only saved the fox’s […]
DARTMOOR: camping ban and pheasant shooting
On Saturday 21 January, Protect the Wild joined more than 3,000 people marching in protest on Dartmoor after a pheasant-shooting millionaire took action to prevent wild camping. Hedge fund manager Alexander Darwall, who owns the 4,000-acre Blachford Estate on Dartmoor, brought the case against Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA). The high court ruled in his […]
VICTORY: Scotland bans hunting with dogs
Late in the evening on 24 January 2023, the Scottish parliament voted to pass the Hunting With Dogs (Scotland) Bill after a seven hour debate. The Act will make it illegal to flush out a wild animal with more than two dogs, effectively ending hunting with hounds as we know it. Campaigners have described it […]
Sabs descend on violent South Dorset Hunt
Hunt saboteurs from all over the country, as well as Ireland, travelled to Dorset on 21 January to sab the South Dorset Hunt (SDH). More than 40 people descended on the hunt in response to acts of extreme violence carried out by SDH supporters over the past month. On 20 December, a 77-year-old hunt monitor […]
Sheep drowns as Grafton Hunt hounds run rampage
Police are investigating the Grafton Hunt after a sheep drowned when hounds ran out of control in a farmer’s field. The ewes, who were all pregnant, scattered, breaking out of their field, and some fled into a river to escape. The incident took place on 14 January. Grafton Hunt Watch, which monitors the hunt, said: […]
Hunting hounds rampage through animal park
On Saturday 14 January, hounds from the Mendip Farmers Hunt (MFH) caused havoc as they tore through Chew Valley Animal Park. And yet the MFH continues to insist that it hunts legally. Protect the Wild spoke to Mendip Hunt Sabs, who were on the ground that day. The sabs said: “Hounds from the Mendip Farmers […]
Just how much is Jacob Rees-Mogg complicit in illegal hunting?
Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg is renowned for his pro-hunting views, believing that it’s perfectly humane for hounds to tear up foxes. Time and time again, his family has shown its support for criminal fox hunters, riding with the Mendip Farmers Hunt (MFH), hosting its meets, attending its balls, and – in the case of Rees-Mogg’s […]
Hunt supporters throw two murdered foxes into a hunt saboteur’s garden
South Dorset Hunt supporters stooped to a new low on 12 January when they threw two murdered foxes into a hunt saboteur’s garden. This is just one of a number of incidents targeting those who monitor this criminal hunt. The saboteur is part of Weymouth Animal Rights (WAR), which consistently monitors the hunt. WAR’s footage […]
Hunt supporters attack a man in his seventies using a catapult and ball bearing
A hunt monitor in his seventies has been attacked by South Dorset Hunt supporters. This is the second time in less than a month that a monitor has been targeted by followers of the hunt. Protect the Wild spoke to North Dorset Hunt Sabs, who said: “We were sabbing the South Dorset Hunt at Tadnoll, […]
A hunt supporter has his balaclava ripped off after he slashes saboteurs’ tyres
On 7 January, hunt saboteurs had their tyres slashed by a Grove and Rufford Hunt (GRH) supporter. But the culprit got a nasty shock when a sab bravely pulled off his balaclava to reveal his identity, and the man was arrested. The sabs recorded footage of the whole incident and gave it to the police. […]
Mounted huntsman charges at monitor and threatens to kill him
On Saturday 7 January, the Wynnstay Hunt stooped to a new low when its huntsman threatened a Cheshire Monitors volunteer. The monitors were on the ground, preventing illegal hunting from taking place, when huntsman Chris Woodward charged his horse at one of them. The monitor was shouting the command “leave it” to the hounds to […]
Ledbury Hunt continues to get away with murder.
In early December 2022, the ex-huntsman of the Quorn Hunt, Ollie Finnegan, pleaded guilty to hunting foxes after his own WhatsApp messages incriminated him. The Quorn had been visiting Gloucestershire for a joint meet with the Ledbury Hunt on 7 January 2022. But it was only Finnegan who was prosecuted, while staff from the Ledbury […]
Police investigating Essex and Suffolk Hunt after fox bolts from badger sett
Suffolk Police is investigating the Essex and Suffolk Hunt after monitors witnessed members of the hunt trying to force a fox to bolt from a badger sett. The incident happened during the hunt’s Boxing Day meet – the most important day in the hunting calendar. While the hunt master was giving his speech, wildlife monitors […]
South Dorset Hunt monitors are targeted yet again as 17 tyres are slashed on Boxing Day
A few days ago, Protect the Wild wrote about how a monitor from Weymouth Animal Rights (WAR) was beaten up with an iron bar and left for dead. He was monitoring the South Dorset Hunt at the time. And now hunt monitors and saboteurs have been targeted once again. WAR woke up on Boxing Day […]
“They would have left him for dead.” Hunt monitors are calling for witnesses after a 77-year-old man is beaten with an iron bar
On 20 December, a monitor from Weymouth Animal Rights (WAR) was hospitalised after two masked-up men beat him round the head with a metal bar. WAR was monitoring the South Dorset Hunt, along with Mendip Hunt Sabs, when the brutal attack happened. They are asking for any witnesses to come forward. The attack took place […]
The MoD just became even more secretive about hunting on its land
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has sent the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) a letter, terminating a memorandum of understanding between the animal rights organisation and the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Writing for ITV News, Rupert Evelyn said: “The long-standing memorandum between the MOD and LACS is designed to inform the anti-hunting organisation where on the […]
VICTORY! Hunting dying out as more hunts forced to merge
As 2022 draws to a close, there’s news that two more hunts are amalgamating. The Puckeridge is merging with the Essex with Farmers and Union for the 2023/2024 season, becoming the new Puckeridge and Essex Union Hunt. This is yet another indication that the hunting industry is struggling. Both hunts have had their own scandals […]
Pain, fear and hypothermia: the ‘agonising reality’ for animals caught in snares this winter
Temperatures have dropped significantly in the UK, with many areas seeing thick snow. In these current conditions, you would think that gamekeepers would be deterred from setting fox snares. Unfortunately, wildlife monitors and members of the public are still coming across them. If an animal is trapped in a snare in sub-zero temperatures, their pain […]
Phone messages incriminate Scottish hare coursers
Two men have been convicted of hare coursing in Forfar Sheriff Court, Scotland, after incriminating evidence was found on seized phones. Alexander Stewart, 35, and Jackie Stewart, 42, were arrested after a farmer recognised their vehicle in the area, and called police to the scene. When they arrived, the police saw Jackie, accompanied by a […]
Royal Artillery Hunt accused of more intimidation and lies after huntsman Charles Carter runs down saboteurs with his car
On 10 December, Moonraker Hunt Sabs shared footage of Charles Carter, huntsman for the Royal Artillery Hunt (RAH), running down two saboteurs with his car. The video was posted on Twitter shortly after the incident happened, and shows Carter deliberately turning his car around to drive into the sabs. One person can be seen laying […]
Damning text messages incriminate prominent fox hunter Ollie Finnegan
On 6 December 2022, Ollie Finnegan pleaded guilty to illegally hunting with dogs after WhatsApp messages, found on his phone, incriminated him. Finnegan was the huntsman for the Quorn Hunt on 7 January 2022. Police seized his phone after receiving reports of the Quorn illegally hunting a fox that day. ITV’s Rupert Evelyn attended court. […]
Baiters in Norfolk are torturing badgers to gain social media status
Masked-up groups in Norfolk are setting their dogs on badgers to kill them, according to local news website Norwich Evening News. The website reported that the gangs are often livestreaming their kills so that viewers can bet on the outcome of the fights between the badgers and the dogs. Norwich Evening News said: “Kevin Murphy, […]
Hunts need to be held accountable as a hound is killed by a car
When it comes to hunting, it isn’t just foxes who are victims of this brutal bloodsport. On 29 November a Grove and Rufford Hunt (GRH) hound was hit and killed by a car on the A614. The pack was out of control, forcing cars and lorries to come to a standstill. Sheffield Hunt Saboteurs and […]