Banning Snares: a parliamentary debate in name only
On January 9th MPs gathered in a room in Westminster Hall to debate e-petition 600593, which as the 102,616 people who signed it will remember was a demand by Animal Aid that “The Government should prohibit the sale, use and manufacture of free-running snares under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, putting them in the […]
A badger rescue story shows why snares must be outlawed immediately
A young badger was trapped for days and left struggling to escape from an illegal snare in Scotland. Images show a worker from a local animal hospice rescuing the creature. And now the woman that rescued her wants an end to the practice of snaring altogether. Scottish paper the Daily Record reported on 5 January […]
Responding to reports of illegal hunting, Essex Police found blocked setts and a rider carrying a knife
On 31 December 2022, Essex Rural, Wildlife and Heritage Crime Team tweeted about reports of illegal hunting near Abridge. It said that blocked badger setts were found, as well as a rider carrying a lock knife. Protect the Wild contacted Essex Police, which said: We received a call at 1.30pm on Friday 30 December reporting […]
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 […]
Why do you call bird shooting an industry?
Why do we call bird shooting an ‘industry’? Why does Protect the Wild call the ‘bird shooting industry’ (a blanket term for shooting estates, shooting syndicates, shooting lobbyists, gun and ammunition manufacturers and suppliers etc) an ‘industry’ exactly? Because that’s exactly what it is – an industry. And it’s huge. We all need to move […]
Stink Pits
Stink Pits Anyone who comes across one of the shooting industry’s ‘hidden secrets’ will know immediately how stink pits got their name. Also known as middens, stink pits are built by gamekeepers on shooting estates and are pits or piles of dumped rotting mammal and bird carcasses which literally ‘stink’ and are used as bait […]
Why will you never be neutral on bird shooting?
Why won’t Protect the Wild ever be neutral on bird shooting? If we don’t speak out against the shooting industry, then no matter how much we might try to convince ourselves otherwise: we are supporting the killing of millions and millions of birds for ‘fun’, supporting the trapping and snaring of countless foxes and other […]
Two brothers were jailed after using a spade to ‘bludgeon’ a badger
A magistrate has handed two brothers jail terms for badger baiting. Both denied their criminal activities even as they were convicted. But details of the incident revealed a scene of abject horror. The trial, brought by the RSPCA, was originally held on 16 November. Evidence presented that day revealed that brothers Dale and Michael Rickerby […]
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 […]
The Scottish government’s advisory group just came out strongly for a snare ban
Snares are cruel and indiscriminate, raising “significant welfare concerns”, an advisory board to the Scottish government has just announced. As a result, the board is recommending a blanket snare ban in Scotland. On 9 December, the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) published its position paper on using snares to trap wildlife. The evaluation was based […]
Another public landowner has just wised up to hunting’s criminal activities
North Yorkshire Moors National Park Authority (NYMNPA) recently announced that hunts are no longer welcome on Levisham Estate. The move comes after hunt saboteurs caught terriermen digging out a badger sett on the property. East Yorkshire Coast Hunt Sabs said on 4 December that NYMNPA had decided to “not… allow hunting to resume on the […]
The government has finally given a date to debate a ban on snares
Government ministers will debate a ban on snares following a successful petition. The news comes just weeks after the Welsh Assembly agreed to outlaw snares throughout Wales. The UK government recently announced that it will undertake a debate on criminalising free-running snares on 9 January 2023. It is the result of a petition on the […]
To survive we have to change the narrative
Headline statistics from the 2022 Biodiversity Conference (or COP15), which starts in Montreal today, are shocking. Over 1 million species are on the brink of extinction (an under-estimate as no-one knows how many species there actually are). Species are dying off at a frequency rate 1,000 times higher than before the arrival of humans. Wildlife […]
Hero left for dead by badger baiters receives award
A heroic former sab violently attacked by badger baiters last year has received an award for his work to protect badgers and other wildlife. Daniel, who at the time was colloquially known as ‘Puffer’, was knocked unconscious by a group of five badger baiters in Darcy Lever in April last year. He discovered the men […]
New government law could worsen record high wildlife crime levels
Record high wildlife crime levels could be worsened by new Government law, warn wildlife campaigners The warning comes from Wildlife and Countryside Link, the largest environment and wildlife coalition in England which brings together 67 organisations to use their strong joint voice for the protection of nature. The annual Wildlife Crime Report compiled by Wildlife […]
Leighton Hall Estate Investigation
Leighton Hall Estate Investigation Written by Head of Content and pro-wildlife/anti-shooting campaigner Charlie Moores. In September 2022 Protect the Wild was sent gigabytes of video and photographs filmed by investigators who had visited pheasant pens on the Leighton Hall Estate in Lancashire. We had a rough idea of what to expect, as the investigators themselves […]
2022 Badger cull expose
Badger Cull 2022 Investigation This shocking footage exposes the badger cull for the sham that it is. A cruel, costly and ineffective mass slaughter of tens of thousands of badgers and for what? Dead badgers tipped into an open-air skip, operators with no regard for potential biohazards, unbagged gutted carcasses left inside a van, reckless […]
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 […]
What is lamping and is it illegal?
What is Lamping? 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 deaths of wildlife in the British countryside. Lamping is so-called because participants use lamps or spotlights to light up areas of the countryside at night to reveal […]
Bird Shooting FAQ
Bird Shooting FAQs Why does Protect the Wild call bird shooting an industry? Why does Protect the Wild call bird shooting an industry? Learn More Is bird shooting ethical? Is bird shooting ethical? Learn More Is bird shooting a ‘sport’? Is bird shooting a ‘sport’? Learn More Why will Protect the Wild never be ‘neutral’ […]
Badger Setts
Badger Setts At a glance Badgers live in social groups in a semi-discrete geographical area termed a territory. Within that territory they live underground in a sett. Badger setts consists of a network of tunnels with numerous entrances dug into the soil. Disturbing a badger sett is a crime. Badgers live underground in a sett. […]
Badger Baiting
Badger Baiting At a glance Badger baiting is a cruel and secretive bloodsport which, although illegal, is prolific in Britain. Badger baiting usually takes place in the winter months, between November and March when sows are pregnant. Across the UK, hundreds of men (typically connected with hunts and known as terriermen) travel to badger setts […]
Badger Cull
The Badger Cull The government-sanctioned slaughter of a protected species As a ‘wildlife-first’ organisation, Protect the Wild is totally opposed to the badger ‘cull’. Since it began as a ‘trial’ in 2013, badgers have been killed in huge numbers to protect the dairy industry from bovine TB – a disease of cattle. The government’s kill […]
Grafton badger cull investigation dismissed as ‘trespass’
Life Peer Lord Benyon responds to question about Grafton Pet Crematorium investigation raised in House of Lords by Natalie, Lady Bennett. In early October Protect the Wild posted undercover footage taken by investigators over a three-week period at Grafton Pet Crematorium in Northamptonshire. The material we uploaded showed badger cull operators working at the crematorium. […]
Report wildlife crime
REPORT WILDLIFE CRIME LET’S TAKE ACTION… Every year, across the entire United Kingdom, wildlife is being persecuted and subjected to unimaginable suffering due to illegal activities. Despite being a nation of self-proclaimed animal lovers’ wildlife criminals are illegally harming our precious wildlife. Foxes, badgers, deer, hares, mink, birds and many more species are the victims […]
Common Buzzard
Facts about the Common Buzzard Scientific name: Buteo buteo Bird Family: Kites, hawks and eagles UK conservation status: Green At a glance Until recently quite scarce, now the UK’s commonest bird of prey. When soaring they hold their wings in a shallow V, often giving a mewing call. Shooting estates are increasingly calling for licences […]
Investigators expose reality of the badger cull
In their own words: investigators expose the reality of the badger cull In October 2022, badger cull investigators sent Protect the Wild video and photographs taken using hidden and handheld cameras at what is described by its owner – Mick Wills, a former huntmaster of the Grafton Hunt – as a pet crematorium. The undercover […]
News
NEWS Breaking news on our work and issues affecting wildlife. We update our site regularly so check back here or subscribe to our newsletter. You can also follow us on our socials to keep up to date. Latest newsFoxShootingRaptor PersecutionBadgerDeerInvestigateCampaign Latest news Cat found nearly ‘cut in two’ after a snare wrapped around his stomach […]
Weasel facts
European Weasel Scientific name: Mustela nivalis At a glance Weasels are widespread throughout Britain and are probably our most numerous carnivore. They have virtually no legal protection and many are killed in traps by gamekeepers every year. Shooting probably ‘loses’ more pheasants every year to collisions with cars than they do to Weasels. One of […]
Stoat facts
Facts about the Stoat Scientific name: Mustela erminea At a glance Can live in most habitats provided there is prey and cover to shelter in. The Stoat’s black tail tip may act as a predator-deflection mark. For hundreds of years the stoat’s white winter fur (ermine) was sought-after for ceremonial robes. One of a large […]
Hedgehog facts
Facts about the European Hedgehog Scientific name: Erinaceus europaeus At a glance Found across a wide range of rural and urban habitats, preferring woodland edges and hedgerows. Many sites in England and Wales that reported hedgehogs in the 1980s had stopped reporting them by the 1990s. Following long-term declines here hedgehogs were Red-listed as Vulnerable […]
Badger facts
The Badger Scientific name: Meles meles At a glance Badgers are the UK’s largest remaining terrestrial mammalian predator. Despite being outlawed in 1835 badger baiting still takes place illegally across the UK Since 2013 around 260,000 badgers have been killed in an attempt to control Bovine TB – a disease of cattle. Everyone knows what […]
Rescue & Care
Wildlife Rescue and Care Wildlife across the UK is in need of help. Over the years, we humans have destroyed the natural habitats that many wild animals call home. Many animals are hunted or persecuted. Many more are injured on our roads. This has put an enormous pressure on the wildlife rescuers and sanctuaries that […]
Raptor Persecution Hilborough Estate
Raptor Persecution on the Hilborough Estate In April 2022, the Hunt Investigation Team (HIT) supported by Protect The Wild, documented illegal raptor persecution on the Hilborough Estate in Norfolk. The Hilborough Estate’s reputation has been built upon and protected by its royal connections and historical conservation credentials. The Van Cutsem family, friends of Princes Charles, […]
RSPB predator control
RSPB PREDATOR CONTROL HITStatement 2018 Whilst working on the Barlow Hunt Investigation in spring 2018, HIT was contacted by a a whistleblower about the RSPB’s Curlew Management Trial Programme. The whistleblower was highly concerned about the scale of Larsen trapping and employment of a bloodsports enthusiast on a Peak District RSPB reserve. They asked HIT […]
Badger cull horror exposed
BADGER CULLHORROR EXPOSED HITStatement 2018 Covert cameras placed by the Hunt Investigation Team on vulnerable, unprotected badger setts in the Cumbria cull zone revealed for the first time the true horror of the badger cull. HIT’s team has protected badgers in multiple cull zones for many years. In 2018 hidden cameras were placed in order […]
Who we’ve supported
Who we’ve Supported Not all heroes wear capes! There are extraordinary people doing extraordinary things every day, often suffering insult and injury doing their utmost to protect foxes, birds, badgers and other wildlife. Brave individuals working tirelessly in the field to save and protect animals. We regularly offer funding to those who need support and […]
Adopt a badger
ADOPT A BADGER TODAY Although one of the UK’s most recognisable species and fully protected in law, the badger is under threat. As many as 250,000 badgers have already been killed in the government’s ineffective BovineTB control cull and despite the change of government more are slated to die in the coming years. Many more […]
Hedgehog Protection
HEDGEHOG PROTECTION Thought to be the UK’s most loved wild animal, it’s hard not to adore this spiky little mammal. But despite its popularity hedgehog numbers are in serious decline. It’s no longer a common sight to see these shy little creatures moving slowly through our gardens. It’s estimated that there were some 30 million […]
Badger Persecution
End Badger Persecution With their stripey faces, twinkling eyes, and starring roles in many children’s books and films, badgers are one of the most beloved of British mammals – but also one of the most persecuted. The Protection of Badgers Act 1992 makes it an offence to wilfully kill, injure, cruelly ill-treat, or take a badger […]
Charities warn badger cull could lead to local extinctions
Charities fear badger cull could lead to local extinction. Charities have warned that going ahead with the badger cull again this year could place badgers at risk of “local extinction” in parts of England and have called for a suspension of the programme. The Badger Trust is leading a call to immediately suspend the […]
Defra refusing Woodcock the protection they need
Defra and Woodcocks – government won’t protect Woodcock so we must The government recently responded to an online petition to ‘Limit the Shooting Season of Woodcock’ launched by Wild Justice (Mark Avery, Ruth Tingay, and Chris Packham). I’ve already blogged about this petition and my hesitancy to sign it but in case you don’t have […]
‘Balaclava wearing thugs”: Wiltshire PCC Philip Wilkinson doesn’t like sabs.
When Wiltshire councillor Jonathon Seed was disbarred from standing for the role of Swindon and Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), animal rights campaigners celebrated. An ex-army major and ex-fox hunt master, Seed has a long history of fox hunting, and was master of two local hunts for 20 years. But Swindon and Wiltshire’s PCC […]
Hedgehog numbers are in serious decline
Hedgehog numbers are in serious decline It’s Hedgehog Awareness Week, a time of the year to celebrate our favourite spiky mammal. But it’s also a time to reflect on the fact that their numbers are in serious decline. It’s no longer a common sight to see these shy little creatures moving slowly through our gardens. […]
