Suffolk Action For Wildlife (SAF) have been monitoring and exposing illegal hunting across Suffolk since 2021. Focussing their work on the Essex and Suffolk Hunt, they have always generously shared their news and images with us here at Protect the Wild (see for example ‘CONVICTED! Terrierman guilty after terrorising monitors on quad bike’ and ‘Essex and Suffolk Hunt staff arrested for killing fox’) and we have been asking for a while whether we could reciprocate in some way.
A few weeks ago SAF contacted us about a new drone they were looking to buy. They had already begun fundraising, but would we be interested in helping them?
Supporting monitor groups is right up our street! We made a donation that closed the gap between what SAF had raised and what they still needed and asked if there was anything else they needed. Well, as you’re asking, they replied…
After a quick internet search for the right kit at the right price, we sent…well, SAF has asked us not to say what exactly we sent as they don’t want the hunt to know the details, but please believe us when we say what we bought will help and SAF are very grateful – not just to us, but our wonderful supporters who have once again enabled us to purchase vital equipment for a front line group working hard to protect wildlife.
Whipper-in Jamie Price carries away a dead fox. Image Suffolk Action for Wildlife.
“We have monitors who bring their own drones out, but getting one that belongs to the group means that we don’t have to rely on monitors being out on any given day. It also gives a chance for more people within the group to learn to use the drone – which means that we will have eyes in the sky at every meet, weather permitting.
The drone will really come into its own during the upcoming cub hunting season, as we can put it up above the wood that is being surrounded and clearly show illegal hunting is taking place by getting the overall picture of the hunt members on point, with the Huntsman and hounds in the wood. Without a drone it is impossible to show this clearly.
In addition, we have been given equipment that is going to help us monitor local badger setts, checking that they are not interfered with, as unfortunately the local fox hunts seem to target the badger setts as well as foxes.
We are very grateful to Protect the Wild for their help in both these purchases.”
Groups up and down England and Wales are readying themselves already for another horrific cubbing ‘season’ when the ‘criminals on horseback’ start to hunt the countryside again in the autumn. Hunts use fox cubs to train their hounds to chase and kill foxes (see ‘Spoof sports show used to expose sick pastime of ‘cub hunting‘) and are desperate to keep ‘eyes in the field’ off them while they do it.
This year, though, those ‘eyes’ are on them like never before as more and more groups have drones to use. Suffolk Action for Wildlife will be out in the field with a drone keeping watch, and we will be keeping in touch with them to report back on what they find.
