Hunt thugs allegedly hospitalised a disabled man
An ambulance was called to help a man that said he was attacked by two men on a quad bike. The incident during a meet of the Worcestershire Hunt. Worcester News reported on 16 February that Mark Saddler was taken to hospital after he claimed that he was attacked by two men. The newspaper quoted […]
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 […]
Police arrest two more in connection with Avon Vale Hunt video
Police have arrested two more people in connection with the Avon Vale Hunt video. Wiltshire Police said that it had arrested two people on suspicion of wildlife offences on 14 February. It said the man and woman, both 25, were suspected of “hunting a wild mammal with dogs, interfering with badger setts and causing unnecessary […]
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 […]
Police chief commends hunt saboteurs, saying illegal hunting is ‘prolific’
The Times reported on 11 February that senior police officer Matt Longman has described illegal hunting as “prolific”. Longman is a commander of Plymouth Police and, more relevantly, National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) lead for “Fox Hunting Crime”. The newspaper went on to report that Longman wants: “police forces to work with the “volunteers” who […]
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 […]
BREAKING: Three members of the Avon Vale Hunt arrested
Wiltshire Police have arrested three men from the Avon Vale Hunt on the morning of 10 February following footage of the hunt involved in the dig out of two foxes. ITV News reporter Rupert Evelyn said on Twitter that Wiltshire Police arrested three men on 10 February following publication of footage appearing to show an […]
Birds of prey and the Law
Birds of Prey and the Law Birds of prey are widely persecuted on shooting estates (and on some farms) but all species are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and most (excluding Common Buzzard, Kestrel, and Sparrowhawk) also come under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This means that NO […]
GOOD NEWS: Avon Vale Hunt bites the bullet
Following publication of video showing members of the Avon Vale Hunt digging out a fox, hunting’s governing body has ‘permanently expelled’ its key members. On 8 February, the Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) and ITV News published mobile phone footage showing several members of the Avon Vale Hunt involved in the dig out of two foxes. […]
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 […]
Lewis Hamilton-fronting car company sponsoring fundraisers for hunts
Car manufacturer INEOS Automotive is sponsoring point-to-point horse races to show its support for the “countryside community”. The catch? They are organised by and raise money for criminal hunting. INEOS Automotive started its partnership with the Point-to-Point Authority in November 2021. The promotional material at the time said the car manufacturer was sponsoring the Mixed […]
Badgers and the Law
Badgers and the Law Badgers are protected in law by the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 (passed to consolidate law previously contained in the Badgers Act 1973, the Badgers Act 1991 and the Badgers (Further Protection) Act 1991) and so are their setts (setts include entrances, tunnels, and underground chambers). Licences may be granted by […]
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 […]
HUNT HAVOC: Sab drone records moment hound almost hit on road
Surrey Hunt Sabs shared video filmed by a drone of hounds chasing what the group said was a fox. And it highlights why groups including Protect the Wild say the Hunting Act needs a recklessness clause. On 4 February, Surrey Hunt Sabs shared footage filmed earlier that day by its drone. It showed hounds running […]
Protectors of the Wild
Protectors of the Wild Have you ever wondered what UK law says about hunting, shooting, collecting bird eggs, or about foxes, badgers, and bats? About releasing Grey Squirrels in to the wild? About operating drones, using airguns, or driving quad bikes legally? What the Hunting Act 2004 or the CRoW Act 2000 says, or if […]
PTW Equipment Fund: North London Hunt Sabs
This month Protect the Wild has been pleased to be able to respond to a request from the North London Hunt Sabs for help with repairs to their vehicle. Ordinarily we provide equipment rather than fund repairs like this, but we felt that in this instance our supporters (who ultimately provide the funds we use […]
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 […]
Badgers face daily persecution recently blocked setts show
Police in two counties are appealing for information following the discovery of blocked badger setts. And it’s a reminder that one of Britain’s most iconic mammals continues facing daily persecution. On 23rd January, news reports came out of blocked badger setts found in both Lincolnshire and Worcestershire. LincolnshireLive said that police had launched a public […]
BREAKING: Wales one step closer to ban on snare use
The Welsh Senedd just announced it is carrying forwards a plan to prohibit the use of snares. On 27 January, the Welsh Senedd’s Economic, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee published its Stage 1 Report on its upcoming Agricultural Bill. The 116-page document covers many subjects related to the future of agricultural legislation in the nation. […]
What is revealed in responses to the North Wales Police hunting review
Reactions to the review of North Wales Police’s handling of the Hunting Act are unsurprisingly polarised, and they were from the outset. In August 2022, just after the surveys were first made public, the Countryside Alliance quickly announced that they were “deeply flawed” and that “the hunting community” would not participate. As a result, as […]
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 […]
Review into policing of hunts in North Wales finds focus on ‘public disorder’
A recently published review reveals the complexities of policing the Hunting Act in North Wales. And it shows that it’s high time for new legislation. On 12 January, Glyndwr University’s Social Inclusion Research Institute (Cyfiawnder) published a long-awaited review into policing of the Hunting Act in North Wales. As Protect the Wild previously covered, the […]
Raptor persecution: if we think ‘shooting’ first who can blame us?
The recent discovery of the bodies of five dead young Goshawks dumped in a wood in Suffolk drew an instant response that shooting estates and their gamekeeper employees were likely to be involved. That feeling was compounded by x-rays that showed shotgun pellets in all five birds. Shooting lobbyists like BASC (the British Association of […]
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 […]
RSPCA and police raid properties across England connected with hunting and terrierwork
Police ‘raided’ properties across England in conjunction with the RSPCA, ITV News reported. And all of the houses raided were connected to hunts and terriermen. The majority of arrests took place in Kent. Officers arrested four men in an “operation looking into alleged animal welfare and wildlife offences”, KentLive reported on 20 January. The raids […]
GOOD NEWS: Airedale Beagles pack folds
Another hunt has folded. It wasn’t regularly monitored or sabbed. But it’s nonetheless a sign that the writing is on the wall for the hunting industry. On 19 January, the Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) shared news that the Airedale Beagles are finishing as a hunt. The hunt, based near Keighley in West Yorkshire, were one […]
Five shot Goshawks dumped in Suffolk wood
On 17th January Suffolk Police’s Rural, Wildlife & Heritage Unit posted a request on their Twitter feed for information after the discovery of the bodies of five young (Northern) Goshawks dumped in Forestry England’s King’s Forest near Thetford in Suffolk. The large and powerful birds – fully grown juveniles likely to have hatched just last […]
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: […]
Whipper-in convicted of kidnapping fellow hunt member’s sheep
Northamptonshire Police said on 17 January that courts had found Hartley Crouch guilty of theft after stealing and killing a sheep. The incident occurred on 13 March 2022. Crouch was, at the time, a whipper-in for the Pytchley with Woodland Hunt. The police stated that Crouch had taken the sheep from another member of the […]
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 […]
Is it true that without shooting there’d be no pheasants here?
Is it true that without shooting there’d be no pheasants here? The short answer is, that’s probably true, yes. Pheasants are absolutely beautiful birds, so does that mean we should be grateful to shooting for ensuring there are pheasants for us to look at? Not at all. And that’s because we really ought to look […]
Basil the rhea went missing for days after he was spooked by hunting hounds
Hounds spooked a rhea in Northamptonshire as they hunted nearby. The bird was missing for days. But his owner just announced that he’s now back home. Sophie Wills initially posted on 11 January that her “beloved Basil” went missing around 1.30pm that day. She said he was “last seen being chased by a hound/hounds”. Basil […]
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, […]
Where is shooting vulnerable
Where is shooting vulnerable? While many of us have come together to ‘protect the wild’ bird shooting is purely selfish and serves no common good. We will work to counter the ‘conservation’ greenwashing the industry employs. It uses birds as live targets. That shouldn’t be allowed. Non-animal shooting is now available, replicating the so-called ‘thrill’ […]
Common Pheasant
Facts about Pheasant Scientific name: Phasianus colchicus Bird Family: Pheasants UK conservation status: Introduced (on the British Bird List as a ‘naturalised introduced species’) At a glance A Eurasian species released here in huge numbers by the shooting industry. Up to 40 million pheasants are released every year to be shot for ‘sport’. In 2020 […]
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. […]
Prince Harry’s new book talks about the most ‘loathesome’ tradition in bloodsports
Celebrity magazine OK! reported on 10 January that in his autobiography Spare, Prince Harry recounts his experience of ‘blooding’. According to the celebrity magazine, the book describes Harry stalking then murdering a stag in the grounds of Balmoral. He was about 15 at the time. The prince’s stalking guide, Sandy, then bled the stag from […]
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 […]
Podcast 02: Snares and trailing a new campaign
A short podcast by Charlie Moores about snares – recorded the day before he headed to London to listen to a pro-hunt and pro-shoot government ‘debate’ last year’s petition organised by Animal Aid that called for a ban on the use, sale, and manufacture of snares… “If you’re a certain age you may remember […]
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 […]
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 […]
Labour wants to eliminate the ‘trail hunting’ loophole if it gets into government
Labour says it will tighten the Hunting Act when it comes into government. The statement came after the party’s shadow minister for the armed forces said that he wants hunting “consigned to the history books”. On Boxing Day 2022, the Labour Party said it will “close the loopholes” that exist in the Hunting Act. Huffington […]
Is bird shooting ethical?
Is bird shooting ethical? Of course not. It is simply unethical and immoral to raise and sell huge numbers of birds as live targets for consumers (the clients of shooting estates and shooting syndicates) to maim or kill. It is unethical to kill protected birds of prey and a countless number of foxes to ‘protect’ […]
‘Royal loophole’ could protect hunts from Scotland’s new anti-hunting laws
Hunts on royal land are protected by a loophole in the new Scottish anti-hunting bill, the Scottish Greens claim. And it’s a result of a special exclusion written into the power-sharing agreement underpinning the current government. Scotland’s Hunting With Dogs Bill was introduced for parliamentary debate in February 2022. Although the nation already has a […]
A new housing development is the final nail in the coffin of a once prestigious hunt
A developer has applied to build a 50-house estate on the Leicestershire-Warwickshire border. If permitted, it will usurp land previously owned by the Atherstone Hunt. And the news marks an epilogue to one of the most successful hunt saboteur campaigns in recent history. The Leicester Mercury reported on 24 December that Hollins Strategic Land LLP […]
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 […]
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 […]
Bodycam video shows the moment a quad bike hits a hunt saboteur on Boxing Day
Hunt saboteurs say one of their members was hit by a quad bike on Boxing Day. It happened during a meet of the Eggesford Hunt. And the incident left him needing x-rays. Devon County Hunt Saboteurs (DCHS) said on 26 December that “tempers began to flare” during the Eggesford Hunt’s Boxing Day meet. This annual […]