A hunt in East Yorkshire and the volunteers who monitor it say tension between the two groups is at an all-time high.
Fox-hunting was banned in 2004 but the Holderness Hunt, like many hunts across the country, mimics the traditional countryside sport with the legal activity of trail-hunting. This involves laying an animal-based scent trail for their hounds to chase.
A spokesman for a group called Hull Wildlife Protectors claims trail-hunting is a “smokescreen” to mask the killing of wild animals with dogs. A spokesman for the Holderness Hunt, based near Beverley, says “accidents will happen” during trail-hunting, which can lead to the death of wildlife.
Humberside Police has been approached for comment.
‘It can make you quite anxious’
Leo from Hull Wildlife Protectors did not want to give his full name. He said “it is a necessity” that members watch and record the Holderness Hunt every time they meet “to monitor for any wildlife crimes”.
The volunteer said his group has reported three incidents of wildlife crime to Humberside Police this year and that two are still being investigated.
According to the Holderness Hunt, none of its members has been charged with any wildlife crimes this year.
Tom Wright, huntsman for the Holderness Hunt, said the monitoring group’s behaviour amounts to trespass and harassment.
He described how masked strangers sit in cars outside the kennels where he works, sometimes at 03.30 GMT.
“It can make you quite anxious,” said Mr Wright. “You never know who is behind the mask.”
Hull Wildlife Protectors admit they watch the kennels but said they have to because Holderness Hunt refuses to share details of when its trail-hunting events start.
A spokesperson for the group said only a minority of its members wear masks to conceal their identities.
Leo from Hull Wildlife Protectors said it is a non-violent group
Leo said intimidation goes both ways. He says members of the hunt have told him that “they know who I am, my name, where I live”.
A spokesperson for Holderness Hunt agrees that tension between the two groups is growing.
‘Insufficient evidence’
The BBC has seen footage of wild animals being killed during trail-hunts.
In an incident from 2023 Holderness Hunt’s hounds clearly kill a fox that diverted their attention from the pre-laid scent trail.
The BBC has seen an email from Humberside Police confirming that it investigated the incident but that “no further action” would be taken.
In the email Humberside Police explains that this is because of “insufficient evidence” that the kill was “intentional”.
Leo said this left the group “deflated” and the “lacklustre” law has “many loopholes” that need closing.
Last year a senior police officer said the law on fox-hunting was not working.
Ch Supt Matt Longman, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead on fox-hunting, also labelled trail-hunting a “smokescreen” for the illegal persecution of animals.
He was speaking at the launch of a coalition against illegal hunting led by the League Against Cruel Sports and backed by more than 30 charities including the RSPCA.
William Bethell, master of the Holderness Hunt, said hunting is “stronger than the church” for some in the countryside. He said it is important that it continues because many rural jobs rely on it.
National parks are some of our country’s most beautiful landscapes, combining stunning scenery and beautiful wildlife.
Unfortunately, all is not as it seems. Hunters with packs of hounds maraud across the parks, chasing and killing wildlife, causing havoc to the public and the environment.
This fundamentally undermines the National Park Authorities’ aims to protect its land and preserve its flora, fauna, and wildlife for future generations.
Above – Dozens of bloodied hares were dumped by illegal poachers at the entrance to the community shop in Broughton, Hampshire
Diana has sent this over:
Police find burnt out Suzuki SUV in hunt for suspect after dozens of dead animals were dumped outside a village shop weeks after a nearby primary school was targeted
As it is quite a large article, best to go back to source as there are also many photographs.
To mark the RSPCA’s 200 year anniversary, we interview Chris Sherwood, the organisation’s Chief Executive. He tells us about the RSPCA’s unwavering commitment to animal welfare since 1824.
Tell us a bit about the RSPCA and its main battles?
There’s so much to say!
This year is our 200th anniversary – that’s two centuries we’ve been changing laws, attitudes and behaviours towards animals. More than 400 animal welfare laws have passed since we were founded in 1824, and we have literally changed the way we all think, feel and act towards animals.
We’ve fought for animals in homes, laboratories, farms, and the wild, and of course, we’ve rescued, rehabilitated and rehomed countless numbers, while always showing them all the compassion they deserve.
Our landmark anniversary is an amazing time to reflect on all that – and just how much society has changed for animals over the past two centuries. Indeed, I’m so proud that the RSPCA has been at the forefront of many of those changes – from stopping bear baiting and cockfighting shortly after our formation, to championing a Protection of Animals Act in 1911; and campaigning for laws like the Hunting Act 2004 and Animal Welfare Act 2006. But our influence has not just been legislatively. From setting up the RSPCA Fund for Sick & Wounded Horses during the First World War, to responding to the East Coast Flood of the 1950s – and so much more – we’ve been there. Into the 1970s, and the RSPCA Reform Group helped us develop a comprehensive animal welfare policy platform – further shaping how society – all of us – treat and think about animals.
Yet, there is still so much to do. Animals are arguably facing the biggest challenges of our history, through climate change, industrial farming, loss of habitat, the cost of living and the effects of the pandemic. Unless we put animal welfare on the mainstream agenda as one of the most pressing causes of our time, we risk animals lives getting worse, not better.
But we know that we can’t do this alone – we need as many people to join us as possible. So to mark our 200th anniversary this year we launched our million strong movement – we want a million people to join us in our 200th year and beyond, whether that is volunteering, giving their voice to animals or fundraising for us.
In which countries is the RSPCA present?
The RSPCA works in England and Wales – with dedicated staff and a proud network of branches operating in every single community of both nations. But as the world’s first animal charity, we sparked a global movement that spread around the world – so we’re also proud to have links with the animal welfare movement in all corners of the globe.
We have a dedicated international team who take our experiences and expertise of animal welfare in England and Wales all around the world – and have helped inspire and influence change right across Europe, Africa and Asia. We are also proud to be active members of Eurogroup for Animals, and a founding partner of the World Federation for Animals.
From humble beginnings at the Old Slaughter’s Coffee House in Central London in the early 19th century, it’s amazing to think what the RSPCA has gone on to achieve.Image What about you? Tell us a bit more about your role within the RSPCA and why you joined.
It’s been an enormous privilege to serve as the RSPCA’s chief executive since August 2018 – I could not be prouder to lead this fantastic charity for the past nearly six years.
My background is probably not typical of many chief executives – I was the first person in my family to get GCSEs, let alone an A level or undergraduate degree.
Before joining the RSPCA, I spent time as director of innovation and development at leading disability charity Scope, before working in policy and external affairs at Relate – the UK’s leading family and relationships charity – where I was later chief executive.
I’d always wanted to work in the voluntary sector because of my passion for creating a good society – inspired by where I grew up, in a former steel down battling with the social and economic effects of deindustrialisation. For me, a good society is one which is kind, inclusive and compassionate, and where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, not just survive – a better world in which we all take responsibility for our individual and collective impact on each other, on animals and on the planet.
Since becoming CEO at the RSPCA, we’ve of course endured a global pandemic, the ongoing cost of living crisis, and the continued, mounting threat of serious climate change – to name but a few of the challenges at the top of my in-tray, so it has certainly been an incredibly busy and challenging five and a half years.
I am inspired every day by the work of our diverse, dedicated teams – from our frontline officers, to our animal centres, call handlers, science experts, campaigners and so many others; all dedicating themselves to making our world a better one for the animals we share our lives with.
And I think we’ve been making a real difference, from continuing to deliver frontline animal rescue services throughout Covid-19, to supporting people through these difficult economic times, with, among other things, a pet food bank scheme, which delivered 1.5 million meals to needy pets last year. We’ve secured tougher sentences for animal abusers (my proudest moment as CEO) while animal sentience has been recognised in law and we are on the cusp of seeing live exports banned, something we have been campaigning against for more than 50 years.
In 2021, we launched a new strategy Together for Animal Welfare, which set ambitious targets to cut animal neglect in half, see more than half of UK farmed animals reared to RSPCA standards, and secure a UN declaration for animals. It’s ambitious, and we need as many people as possible to support us, and to support the animal welfare cause if we are going to continue to change animals’ lives now and in the future.
We know the RSPCA can’t fix every problem animals face by ourselves – and our response is so much stronger when we work together. But that’s why I see 2024 – our 200th anniversary – as the start of a new chapter in a remarkable story of helping animals; and a chance to transform again how we work together, everyone for every animal, to meet the challenges of the years, decades and centuries to come.https://www.youtube.com/embed/PkyLdSEHVDs?autoplay=0&start=0&rel=0&enablejsapi=1&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eurogroupforanimals.orgWhen did the RSPCA join Eurogroup for Animals and why?
We’re the OG! We’ve been involved since the very beginning – some 44 years ago, in 1980!
In fact, the RSPCA founded Eurogroup for Animals – because we know that the animal welfare sector is stronger when it works together and speaks with a united voice. Over more than four decades, we’ve worked closely with our partners and are proud of the campaign successes it has secured for animal welfare.
It’s really important to pay tribute here to our outgoing president Dr Richard Ryder; Eurogroup for Animals was very much his vision; and also to our former director general Peter Davies – who did inspiring work as president.
Since the UK left the European Union, our membership has remained vital as we negotiate the Brexit transition. The European Union remains the UK’s largest market for imports and exports. The UK also left the EU, but not Europe, and we know animal welfare transcends national borders. The ongoing war in Ukraine has highlighted the need for collaboration, and the RSPCA worked with and through Eurogroup for Animals as part of our response to helping animals there.
What are RSPCA’s main campaigning achievements in 2023?
2023 was a really busy year for our campaigns; we saw an incredible 200,000 people sign petitions, write to the UK and Welsh Governments, contact their elected representatives and get their voice heard. We know animal issues are responsible for filling many politicians’ mail bags – and we make no apology for that!
But it was a turbulent year in British politics. We are leading up to an election which polls suggest could lead to a change of UK Government for the first time in 14 years.
And there were challenges, and frustrations, for animal welfare policy. The UK Government sadly dropped its flagship Kept Animals Bill, which was a tough pill to swallow, and we had to mobilise very quickly to ensure lots of very hard work and policy commitments were not lost altogether. We also saw the UK involved with new free trade agreements that failed to include measures to ensure imports met the UK’s higher animal standards. At one point, the list of broken promises from the UK Government for animals was as high as 15 – but fortunately the tide could be turning in favour of animals again.
We’ve seen the fruits of our campaigning continue in recent weeks and months; with restrictions on the keeping of primates as pets, a ban on the live export of animals and new rules around pet theft back on the agenda. In Wales, we successfully campaigned for the UK’s first ban on the use of snares, while glue traps were outlawed too – offering a real lifeline for wild animals. The UK Government also committed to a consultation on mandatory food labelling, which could give millions of people more information than ever before about where the food they eat comes from.Image How can the public act for the RSPCA?
There’s so many ways our supporters can get involved – and help animals.
None of our work for animals would be possible without our amazing supporters and volunteers. We have approximately 16,000 members, and last year more than 7,000 volunteers supported our work. We’re lucky that many people choose to support us – but this year, we want to go even further by inspiring a million-strong movement to come together for animal welfare.
From transporting injured wildlife to rescue centres, to signing and sharing petitions, going into schools and chatting to kids about animals, or taking on a fundraiser for us, there are endless opportunities for people all over England and Wales to help us create a better world for every animal.
And it’s thanks to our kind donors that we can keep our work going. Last year, rates of animal abandonment reached a three-year high, and we’ve seen unprecedented demand on many of our services due to the cost of living crisis. A few pounds really can make all the difference and help keep our rescuers on the road.
Words to live by?
Anyone who follows me on X will know I regularly tweet about cake (carrot cake being my favourite!); so I subscribe to the adage “a party without cake is just a meeting”!
I’m also always inspired by Margaret Mead’s quote – “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”. It really highlights the power of people. Indeed, many charities start by a group of people coming together who aren’t happy with something in society and want to see it change; that is the story of the RSPCA and from those humble beginnings – a global movement sparked.
And it’s perhaps a bit of a cliche in the animal welfare world now – but it’s always hard to look beyond Mahatma Gandhi’s great quote – “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”. As the RSPCA turns 200, we can be proud of the moral progress we’ve seen in this country – but there’s still so much more work for us all to do.
Vote for Animals: placing animal welfare at the heart of the EU Elections.
1 February 2024
Press Release
The Vote for Animals campaign, launched by Eurogroup for Animals, aims to place animal welfare at the core of the upcoming EU Elections. The campaign encourages candidate MEPs to take a pledge for the animals, while informing citizens about the importance of these elections for progress on animal welfare in the EU, helping them to choose candidates that share their values and encouraging them to vote.
Candidate MEPs are being encouraged to sign a pledge stating a clear commitment to work to improve animal welfare if they are elected to the European Parliament (EP). The pledge, composed of ten asks, addresses live animal transport, imports of animal-based products, welfare of aquatic species, non-animal science and the conservation of wild animals, among others.
By taking the pledge, candidates commit to represent EU citizens’ demands for better animal welfare legislation. European citizens have been very vocal in demanding the EU to do better for animals. Six of ten successful European Citizens Initiatives are related to animal welfare, of which 1.5 million citizens have asked for a Fur Free Europe, and 1.4 million asked for a transition to cage-free systems. The last Eurobarometer, showed that over nine in ten Europeans believe that it is important to protect the welfare of farmed animals, while an overwhelming majority expressed the importance of better protection of kept animals during their entire lifetime.
Elected MEPs have the competence to drive animal welfare issues forward, by working to ensure it remains a priority on the EU agenda, being vocal on issues that need addressing, and voting in the interest of animals. During the current term, a significant number of MEPs have brought to light critical issues including the delay in the publication of the animal welfare legislation, the horrific nature of live animal transport and fur farming.
Elected representatives also have the opportunity to join the Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals, which provides a cross-party platform for MEPs to discuss and exchange views on animal welfare issues and to initiate and promote related initiatives in the EP.
TheVote for Animals campaign page is translated in all official EU languages, and citizens are encouraged to send a message to their representatives, asking them to sign the pledge.
MEPs can serve as catalysts to push for better animal welfare legislation. The Vote for Animals pledge is our commitment to do our utmost to make sure the European Commission comes forward with ambitious legislation on critical issues that need much attention. If I am given the trust by the public, I promise to continue to place these issues at the core of my work, representing the demands of citizens to do more in this aspect. I encourage other candidate MEPs to take the pledge.
Niels Fuglsang, MEP (S&D, DK)
With so many EU citizens asking for more action on animal welfare, the European Parliament must be representative of these interests, to drive forward much-needed progress. This campaign provides both citizens and MEPs the opportunity to shape an institution that keeps animals at the core of their work.
WAV Comment – Real Men always wear Combat Trousers !! ?
All Photos – UAnimals
Uanimals, a Ukrainian animal protection organization, has shared information that Russian soldiers have been killing animals in the occupied Kherson Oblast and proudly displaying their deeds in photographs.
The organization received the photos from a member of the volunteer community depicting Russians from the occupied part of Kherson triumphantly posing with the lifeless bodies of various animals.
Russian soldiers are shown holding dead hares and birds. Another picture shows a Russian posing next to a slain deer, a UAnimals associated at the Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology confirmed. While the exact locations of these gruesome acts cannot be pinpointed, an analysis conducted by the organization validates that the photos were indeed taken in Kherson.
Before the invasion, deer thrived within the Askania-Nova Reserve and the Azov-Syvash National Park, both now under Russian occupation.
“These images are further evidence that Russians are killing everything alive in Ukraine and committing a true ecocide,” the organization said.
The left bank of Kherson Oblast has remained under Russian occupation since February 24, 2022, with military forces establishing an occupational “administration” within the Askania-Nova Reserve.
Ukrainian military personnel have reported that Russians are destroying natural reserves in the occupied Kherson Oblast. They deploy equipment, establish training grounds, and hunt unique animal species there.
Despite the ever-growing biodiversity crisis, it is still legal to hunt endangered species for trophies, with elephants, rhinos, leopards, lions and polar bears often falling victim to this cruel practice.
The EU is the second largest importer of hunting trophies worldwide, with nearly 15,000 hunting trophies of individual animals imported between 2014 and 2018 alone. The industry often uses misguided messaging to justify their actions, but a new report, published by 30 NGOs from across Europe and Africa, scientifically addresses these myths. Here are just a few:
Myth: Trophy hunting helps in conservation efforts
Fact: It negatively impacts populations of endangered and protected species
Hunters often target large or strong animals, jeopardising the gene pool of a population and negatively affecting long-term survival. This also undermines efforts by local communities towards conservation and co-existence, as it normalises the killing of animals for personal pleasure.
Myth: It benefits local communities
Fact: For communities it is a lose-lose situation
The trophy hunting industry is riddled with corruption and mismanagement, maximising profits for hunting officials, hunting tour operators and government officials. Local communities benefit by as little as USD 0.30 and USD 5.90 per capita per year, depending on the country. Often, hunting fees do not even reach local communities.
For most communities, trophy hunting is a lose-lose situation. They lose their wildlife to the rifle of foreign hunters, and fail to profit from the money produced by this deadly business. Trophy hunting not only exploits wildlife and nature, but also robs local communities of their heritage and future existence.
Nick Clark, Wildlife Programme Leader, Eurogroup for Animals
Myth: Trophy hunting prevents poaching
Fact: Poaching and illegal practices are rampant in hunting areas
Evidence shows high poaching incidents in hunting areas, leading to depleted animal populations. This has been especially evident in the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania, the largest
hunting area in Africa, where approximately 55,000 elephants were poached between 2007 and
2014, leading to a population decline of 80 %. In some instances, animals migrate from protected areas to reoccupy empty territories in hunting areas, only to end up victims of trophy hunting.
Fact: Trophy hunting exacerbates conflicts between humans and animals
Trophy hunters often target large and more mature males, which often disrupts social dynamics, exacerbating conflict with people. As an example, elephants from populations that have been subject to illegal hunting over a period of time often become more responsive towards humans, and may express aggressive behaviour. Hunting can also encourage predators to venture more frequently into human settlements, preying on farm animals as an easily available food source.
There is increased opposition to trophy hunting from the public, member states and NGOs.
You have to remember that this is the Daily Mail – a Conservative newspaper.
Note that time and time again they tell us
With traditional fox hunting banned, enthusiasts now take part in trail hunts, where packs of hounds follow an artificial scent – but animal rights campaigners claim this serves as a ‘cover’ for killing foxes.
Today, December 26th, is the day every year when UK hunts attempt to display themselves to the British public to try and gather support for their bloodlusts of ripping British wildlife to shreds.
Below – A hunter attacks a female sab monitor during a hunt:
Take a look at some of our past posts relating to this:
World Animals Voice 