What is a bagged fox?
On 26 August 2022, ITV News published footage showing what appeared to be a ‘bagged fox’. The video showed a group of terriermen associated with the Seavington Hunt pulling a bag from a quad bike before dumping whatever is inside onto the ground. Huntsman Benedict Hood is then seen encouraging a nearby pack of foxhounds, […]
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. […]
Fear for pet as foxhounds tear through Cumbrian village
A dogwalker was left shaken and concerned for their pet as a ‘dangerously out of control’ pack of foxhounds ran towards them chasing a fox in the West Cumbrian village of Lamplugh, according to a report in Cumbria’s News and Star. The local resident, who didn’t want to give their name for fear of retribution, […]
Police investigation launched into footage of hunting hounds killing a fox
Police confirmed they are investigating footage published online that appears to show hounds killing a fox. The incident occurred at Charleton Horethorne, Somerset, during a meet of the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt. Police investigation On 26 November, hunt monitor group Wildlife Crime Action published a video showing hounds huddled together, ragging something on the […]
Hunt master fined after hunting fox on National Trust land
Hunt master fined £600 after failing to call dogs away while illegally fox hunting on National Trust land South Shropshire Hunt master Daniel Cherriman, aged 37, was filmed in November 2021 trespassing and illegally fox hunting on National Trust land in the Long Mynd area of Church Stretton when the hounds he was in charge […]
End fox hunting campaigns
Our work to end fox hunting A Proper Ban on Hunting A Proper Ban on Hunting Learn More Animations Animations Learn More Direct Action Direct Action Learn More Undercover Investigations Undercover Investigations Learn More Major Landowners Major Landowners Learn More
Shocking moment fox cowers on residential roof to escape hunt
In November 2022 shocking images of a terrified fox cowering on the roof of a house emerged on social media. The poor animal had been trying to escape out-of-control foxhounds belonging to the Melbreak Hunt, who had been illegally hunting (according to eyewitness reports) on National Trust owned-land at Whiteside, east of Loweswater. The Melbreak, […]
Fox Protection Survey
Survey on Fox Protection: 2021 Survation Poll backs greater fox protection… A poll conducted by Survation on behalf of Protect the Wild reveals that 63.6% of those surveyed think foxes should be given greater protection in the UK. The question was posed by anti-hunting organisation Protect the Wild in a survey about trail hunting, but […]
Why do people still hunt foxes?
Why do people still hunt foxes? Fox hunting has been taking place for hundreds of years. Hunting with hounds, originated in England in the sixteenth century, and continued in a similar format until February 2005, when the 2004 Hunting Act came into place banning the activity in England and Wales. Hunts today still want the […]
Can I feed foxes in my garden?
Can I feed foxes in my garden? There is nothing in law to stop us from feeding foxes, but it does come with a degree of controversy – trying to balance our wish to ‘help’ while also not having an impact on the fox’s natural behaviour. Feeding foxes can alter that natural behaviour. If they […]
Are foxes part of the dog family?
Are foxes part of the dog family? Lamping is a loose term that covers a number of different activities. However, they all take place at night and they all result in the murder of wildlife in the British countryside. Although male foxes are known as dog foxes, they’re not part of the dog family, but […]
Why are foxes important?
Why are foxes important? Foxes play a vital role in the ecosystem. They are a key predator and help control populations of their prey species, such as rodents and rabbits. Foxes eat most things, including fruit and berries(and by doing so help to disperse seeds, which supports the growth of plant species) but city foxes […]
Are foxes dangerous to humans?
Are foxes dangerous span to humans? Typically, no. Foxes are not dangerous to humans and do not attack humans. However, if a fox is captured or handled then the fox may defend itself and this could result in a human being bitten. There have been occasions where foxes enter homes (for food and/or shelter), if […]
Are foxes dangerous to pets?
Are foxes dangerous to pets? Lamping is a loose term that covers a number of different activities. However, they all take place at night and they all result in the murder of wildlife in the British countryside. It really depends on what pet(s) you have. Foxes are predators of course and get hungry like the […]
Why are foxes so loud at night?
Why are foxes so loud span at night? The noises you hear from foxes at night are just foxes communicating. Barks and screams are used to interact between foxes, and this becomes more common during mating season when the foxes are trying to attract a mate. If you find the noise worse in January, that’s […]
Is the fox population increasing in Britain?
Is the fox population increasing in Britain? Sadly, no! The number of foxes in urban areas is reported to have increased from 33,000 in 1995, to 150,000 in 2017. But despite this, the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) survey, reports an overall decline in the species by 40% in the UK between 1995 and 2019. […]
Are foxes vermin?
Are foxes vermin? We’ve all heard and seen the terror stories of the fox – of a vicious predator that attacks our pets and babies, of an urban menace that isn’t to be trusted or approached – but are these stories a fair reflection of this iconic British animal? If the press is to be […]
Is fox hunting a sport?
Is fox hunting a Sport? Lamping is a loose term that covers a number of different activities. However, they all take place at night and they all result in the murder of wildlife in the British countryside. In June 2022 it was announced that a new body would take over the responsibility of governing hunts […]
Is fox hunting illegal?
Is fox hunting illegal? Is fox hunting illegal? Yes. Since the 2004 Hunting Act was passed it has been illegal to intentionally hunt a wild mammal (notably foxes, hare and deer) with dogs. However, there are a number of exemptions to the ban which hunts often use to get around the legislation and avoid prosecution […]
When does fox hunting season begin?
When does the fox hunting season begin? The main fox hunting season usually takes place between the end of October to early April whilst the ‘cubbing’ season (often referred to by hunters as Autumn Hunting) takes place between August and the end of October. This leaves a period of around 3-4 months where hunts are […]
How do I report illegal fox hunting?
How do I report illegal fox hunting? If you see something that you think is a crime you should call the police on 999 (if it still taking place) or 101 if it’s ended or historical. If you have information on a hunt or suspect that a wildlife crime is taking place in a particular […]
How do hunts get away with illegal fox hunting?
How do hunts get away with illegal fox hunting? People on all sides of the hunting industry recognise that the Hunting Act is a problematic and nearly unenforceable law. While hunts make such claims on the premise that in theory it stops them from killing animals, the reality is that the Hunting Act’s wording is […]
Video evidence shows fox hunting by Royal Artillery Hunt
Video evidence shows fox hunting by Royal Artillery Hunt This footage was captured by members of Salisbury Plain Monitors on 30 October 2021. It shows a fox running ahead of Charles Carter, huntsman of the Royal Artillery Hunt (RAH), as Carter blows his horn. The fox then turns into a covert of trees and, […]
Fox facts
Facts about the Red Fox Scientific name: Vulpes vulpes At a glance The Red Fox has the largest natural distribution of any land mammal except human beings. The UK population is around 375,000, perhaps one-third are resident in our towns and cities. Thousands are snared every year to protect pheasants and grouse for shooting. One […]
Fox Hunting FAQs
Fox Hunting FAQs Is fox hunting illegal? Is fox hunting illegal? Learn More Why do people still hunt foxes? Why do people still hunt foxes? Learn More What is trail hunting? What is trail hunting? Learn More When does the fox hunting season begin? When does the fox hunting season begin? Learn More How do […]
Fox hunting
Fox Hunting Whether through the articles we write, pressuring major landowners to stop giving ‘trail hunt’ licences to hunts, giving equipment to frontline monitor groups, or exposing hunts through ground-breaking undercover investigations, we are finding as many ways as possible to shut down the hunts still illegally chasing and killing wild foxes. On this page […]
If foxhunting is banned why does it still take place?
If foxhunting is banned why does it still take place? Fox hunting in England and Wales was banned by Parliament when MPs passed the Hunting Act 2004. More precisely, all hunting of wild mammals with dogs was banned – including foxes. The Act came into force on the 18th of February 2005, so hunts were […]
Terrierwork, terriermen, and the grotesque world of fox hunting
Terrierwork, terriermen, and the grotesque world of fox hunting Schedule 1.2 of the Hunting Act (which bans hunting wild animals with hounds) permits the use of “dogs below ground to protect birds for shooting”. It’s sometimes known as the Gamekeeper Exemption. Its wording allows someone to put a terrier in, for example, a fox earth […]
New body to regulate fox hunts just another smokescreen?
New body set up to regulate fox hunts – just another smokescreen? On 10 June the Hunting Office made an announcement stating that a new representative body, the British Hounds Sports Association (BHSA), will be responsible for the governance of hunts and hunting. A separate regulatory body is being set up, called the Hound Sports […]
Glyndwyr university team will conduct independent review into fox hunting
Police across the UK are renowned for allowing illegal fox and stag hunting to take place. It’s common knowledge to hunt saboteurs that the police ignore the hunting that goes on under their noses, instead turning their attention towards the activists on the ground who are trying save foxes. There’s countless footage all over the […]
The new Defra Secretary must not hand the hunts a new loophole.
Andy Burnham has appointed the aptly named Angela Eagle as head of Defra. For anyone who cares about ending the cruelty of hunting, this is a moment of real opportunity. Eagle has a genuine anti-hunting record, with knowledge of exactly how hunts behave. So we are calling on her to examine new evidence, outlined below, […]
The new Defra Secretary must not hand the hunts a new loophole.
Andy Burnham has appointed the aptly named Angela Eagle as head of Defra. For anyone who cares about ending the cruelty of hunting, this is a moment of real opportunity. Eagle has a genuine anti-hunting record, with knowledge of exactly how hunts behave. So we are calling on her to examine new evidence, outlined below, […]
Why I’m pulling out of the Clacton by-election
We’re not going to be putting my name forward as a candidate in the Clacton by-election after all. Here’s the honest version of how we got here. When the major parties all refused to field a candidate against Farage, my first instinct was to sit this one out. It wasn’t our fight to have. The […]
Which org wants to shoot Ring-necked Parakeets for ‘sport’ (that would be BASC)…
Yes, we’ve mocked up the header image, but back in March, BASC’s head of policy and campaigns urged members to flood a government consultation on amending the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 with calls for a long list of birds to be added to the so-called ‘quarry list’: a list of wild birds that can […]
Eye on the Wild #6 – Scotland’s ban on glue traps has finally come into force!
Welcome to the sixth edition of Eye on the Wild, our new weekly roundup designed to keep you up to date with the latest stories concerning British wildlife. If you have a story you think we should cover, email us at contact@protectthewild.org.uk Great news! Scotland’s ban on glue traps has finally come into force From […]
Scotland’s Shooting Industry Wants Wildlife Killing to be UNESCO-Recognised
The shooting industry in Scotland just applied for UNESCO heritage status. Yes, UNESCO, that thing you associate with the wonders of the world, humanity’s greatest cultural and natural treasures. Not shooting, trapping and poisoning wildlife for fun. The British Association of Shooting and Conservation (BASC) Scotland has submitted both wildfowling (hunting of wild ducks, geese, […]
From hedgehogs to buzzards, Britain’s wildlife is being quietly killed by rodenticide poisons
This is the second in a series of articles highlighting the need to ban rodenticides in the UK. Last week, we explored how UK councils are failing in their legal obligations to avoid causing unnecessary suffering. You can read the article here. In the coming weeks we will outline how poisons affect the water system […]
How we’re going to end bird shooting
We make difficult demands on the people who support us. We ask you to watch footage that is hard to watch, to read accounts that are hard to read, and to sit with the knowledge of what is happening to birds in this country every single day. We don’t do that lightly, but we owe […]
Millions saw our message: PROTECT BRITISH WILDLIFE
In the early hours of this morning, I found myself standing on a stage beside Andy Burnham, one of the most influential politicians in Britain and a man many believe could one day become Prime Minister. Millions of people watching national television coverage saw one clear message: Protect British Wildlife. There was no escaping it. […]
Labour MP Loses his Temper at Guga Hunt Protestors
We appear to have pissed off a Labour MP. Allow us to explain why we’re not sorry. Torcuil Crichton, Labour MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (the Western Isles in Scotland), accused us and other anti-Guga hunt campaigners of “attention-seeking” “virtue-signalling” behaviour and of having a “saviour-complex” for trying to stop the annual killing of […]
Eye on the Wild – Your weekly roundup of British wildlife news
Welcome to the third edition of Eye on the Wild, our new weekly roundup designed to keep you up to date with the latest stories concerning British wildlife. Each week, we’ll share important news, updates and stories from across the UK, including issues, species, and campaigns that may not always make the headlines. We’ll also […]
Reach for the poison: why UK councils are getting rat control wrong
This is the first in a series of articles highlighting the unnecessary suffering caused by rodenticides. In the coming weeks we will outline how poisons affect the whole ecosystem – not just rats and mice – and we will examine how humane alternatives can be used to control rodent populations. We will be making the […]
Eye on the Wild – Your weekly roundup of British wildlife news
Welcome to the second edition of Eye on the Wild, our new weekly roundup designed to keep you up to date with the latest stories concerning British wildlife. Each week, we’ll share important news, updates and stories from across the UK, including issues, species, and campaigns that may not always make the headlines. We’ll also […]
We paid a visit to the most vile shop in Scotland
Last week, we were travelling down from some campaigning work in Inverness, and we passed a shop called The House of Bruar. We decided to go in for a look, and what we found shocked us. The House of Bruar is a high-end department store in the Scottish highlands, and it looks innocent from the […]
House of Bruar
HOUSE OF BRUAR — DON’T BE A HOUSE OF HORRORS FOR ANIMALS If the petition link below isn’t working or no new tab opens, please manually copy and paste the petition text below into an email and send it to: retail@houseofbruar.com, press@houseofbruar.com, mailorder@houseofbruar.com, customerliaison@houseofbruar.com You could also try writing the email in your own words, […]
Hunting News Update – Good news for stags as ‘season’ finally draws to a close
There is just over six weeks to fill out the government consultation on ‘trail hunting’, which closes on 18 June. Protect the Wild has published guidance for people submitting their answers. Make sure you have your say! As the stag hunting ‘season’ draws to a close we are planning to wind down these regular hunting […]
Petitions
Fighting for British wildlife since 2015 Help us fund the investigations, animations, lobbying and direct action that is finally making a difference. We are a growing movement saying and doing what others won’t. Donate to Protect the Wild Ban the public sale of Fireworks Ban the public sale of fireworks Take action Amazon: Stop Selling […]
May 9th: Stand With Us in London: End Trail Hunting for Good
On May 9th, 3.15-4:30pm, in Central London, something powerful is happening. Wildlife lovers, campaigners, rural residents, and people from all walks of life will come together for one clear reason: to demand an end to the cruelty that continues under the false banner of “trail hunting.” This rally, organised by the League Against Cruel Sports, […]
Trail Hunting Consultation
TAKE ACTION: Hunting Consultation The government is consulting on plans to ban trail hunting a practice widely used as a cover for illegal fox hunting and the killing of other mammals. This is your chance to speak up. We’ve made it quick and easy to respond. Using the form below, you can send your personal […]
Hunting Update – Two hunters found guilty of assaults on sabs and more
February 2026 saw several hunt members convicted for violence against wildlife and wildlife defenders alike. Meanwhile – as we wait for the Labour government to make good on its promise to ban the facade of ‘trail hunting’ – UK hunts have recently been caught on camera killing hares, foxes and deer. As usual, their actions […]
King Charles’ new ‘Finding Harmony’ documentary is deeply hypocritical. Here’s why
‘Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision’ is a glossy vanity project aimed at establishing King Charles’ legacy as a supposed defender of the natural world. Charles’ puff-piece, which didn’t even make it onto the BBC, has been consigned to fester on billionaire Jeff Bezos’ Amazon Prime platform next to the dismal ‘documentary’ Melania, about Melania Trump. […]
Labour and ‘trail hunting’: promises but still no ban.
Labour has been promising to tighten up the loopholes in the Hunting Act for years. In June 2024 the Labour Manifesto pledged to ban ‘trail hunting‘, but the killing still goes on. In January 2026 alone, Protect the Wild reported that at least four hunt packs were filmed ripping foxes and killing a hare on […]