[Image credit: @aggravatedtrespass]
Though the supplementary badger cull is ongoing, which started in June, activists, saboteurs, campaigners and monitors are preparing for the intensive badger cull which could have an authorisation date within August, though is likely to begin in September. Natural England, a public body connected to the UK Governments’ Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (who are responsible for the cull) published an online opportunity for public comment on a consultation which confirms that an application has been made for a new zone in Cumbria. If authorised, this will be the first new zone since 2022 and shows that the new Labour government has no intention of ending the systematic murder of badgers. It has also been reported that they intend to end culling by 2029, though this is vague and is only achievable under certain conditions. It is also believed that this is on the assumption that they would serve a second term in government, if they were to win in the next general election. To summarise, unless there is a dramatic change, many more will be murdered for years and any hope for badgers through political means is, at best, thin. Direct action therefore, is the only real tangle method of giving the wild animals a chance of survival. Many setts, some existing for centuries, have been wiped out, as reported by Derbyshire Against the Cull who remain determined to do what they can. Northamptonshire Badger Group have also had ‘mixed results’ whilst surveying, with some healthy sett activity reported but also some not active.
The Dove Valley Mink Hounds continue to have a hard time after being intercepted by saboteurs twice this month by saboteurs from Staffordshire, Nottingham and Lincolnshire. Throughout the summer, the hunt have had to pack up again and again in what has been a disastrous season for them. Frustrated, they attempted to slip under the radar and leave the kennels in the early hours of the morning but were unsuccessful as they were soon discovered and foiled by 8am. With little of the mink/otter season remaining, the continued failure of the hunt will no doubt have an impact on their morale and could spill over into the following season next summer. Multiple sabotage groups in the East of England also paid another visit to the Eastern Counties Mink Hounds who were hunting in Essex. Though they reported to have not been able to attend as quickly as they had previously, the tip-off they received no doubt made an impact on the hunt who soon packed up, believed to have not been successful at killing.
The Stag hunting season has begun and immediately caused ‘horror on the hills’ in the South West of England. Sabotaging this form of hunting comes with differing challenges to other hunting. Despite the efforts of hunt saboteurs from Mendip and North Dorset, a stag was killed by the Quantock Stag Hounds and two were also killed by the Devon & Somerset Staghounds on separate occasions. However, the two groups, accompanied by Weymouth Animal Rights, were successful on another day. Stag hunting has a specific legal loophole, lesser known to the public, using a relay of two hounds to flush to a gun for the purposes of ‘scientific research’. Regardless, it is brutal but campaigners push to challenge this and pursue amendments and strengthen the Hunting Act 2004 to make it stronger. Though the impact of this is contested, it is important for a myriad of tactics and methods be explored to cause as many obstacles as possible. Doing so can make hunting ‘unworkable’, as seen by the success of the Scottish legislative campaigning against fox hunting last year.
The Grouse shooting season has also begun, starting on the 12th August, self-proclaimed as the ‘glorious twelfth’, but didn’t go to plan for some. In recent years, this expensive form of shooting has been increasingly targeted by hunt saboteurs with this year being no exception. Following the successful work of spotters, a large group of saboteurs from multiple groups were able to shut down a shooting ‘party’ on the Wemmergill Estate. Police attended but were unable to prevent the mass hit, though one saboteur from the Sheffield group was arrested. Disruption continued the next day with another shoot being forced to cancel following the arrival on saboteurs. It is believed that shutting down one of these shoots for a day can save hundreds of Grouse and can cause £1000s in damages to the shoot organiser/manager. As well as Grouse, these estates murder other wildlife on a large-scale using traps, some of which were dealt with by saboteurs present. A reminder of this form of wildlife persecution can be read about through two articles recently published on the Hunt Saboteurs Association website.
On top of the abovementioned, another season has begun; cub hunting. This is where Fox hound, Harrier, Beagle and Basset packs are routinely taken out at dusk and dawn with the purpose of training young hounds how to kill Fox cubs and Leverets. This training process is also vital for building a relationship between the huntsman and hounds as well as hounds learning how to work as a pack. Therefore, sabotaging this is not only important for protecting wildlife on the day but can also be detrimental to hunting efforts during the main season by becoming acquainted with the landscape and where wildlife specifically reside which gives them a better opportunity to act. Many sabotage groups across England and Wales have been present during hound exercise and have taken action when cubbing has been attempted, with too many sabotage groups to mention.
Any information about wildlife killing fundraisers, hunting, the location of traps, tools and infrastructure used to kill and anything dodgy or suspicious relating to the interference or ill-treatment of wildlife should be reported to your local hunt sabotage group. Unsure of your local group? Contact the Hunt Saboteurs Association’s tip-off line at 07443148426 or via social media. The smallest bit of information could make the biggest different to wildlife life.
NO LIFE LIKE THE WILD
