SAY NO TO THE BADGER CULL IN WALES. IT IS NOT INEVITABLE

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more I've just left the Senedd. And I'm angry. ROBERT POWNALL NOV 10 READ IN APP I’m writing this from a little café just around the corner from the Welsh Senedd in Cardiff, where I’ve finally managed to escape the freezing cold and rain after spending the last few hours protesting against the possibility of a badger cull being introduced in Wales. And I have to say, despite the weather being absolutely miserable, more than 100 people turned up to make their voices heard. People who could have quite easily stayed at home in the warmth instead chose to stand outside in the pouring rain, united by one very simple message: Wales must not start killing its badgers. The demonstration was organised by the brilliant team at the Badger Trust, who deserve an enormous amount of credit for bringing everyone together and continuing to lead the fight to keep Wales cull-free. I’m incredibly grateful to them for organising today’s event and giving us all the opportunity to stand together for these wonderful animals. SIGN THE PETITION I was also fortunate enough to be invited to speak to the crowd, and I went into it determined to be as optimistic and upbeat as possible. Spoiler alert: I definitely didn’t manage that. Because the more I think about the possibility of Wales introducing a badger cull, the angrier I become. How on earth are we still having this conversation in 2026? How, after everything we’ve witnessed in England, after more than a quarter of a million badgers have been killed, after years of campaigning, scientific debate and public outrage, are we now facing the possibility of yet another country going down the same dreadful path? When will we finally learn that killing wildlife is not the answer to every problem we create? The Welsh Govt should be pursuing solutions that address the disease itself, rather than reaching for the guns and killing protected wild animals. Better cattle testing. Stronger biosecurity. Improved disease surveillance. And dare we say actually ending animal farming itself, the only reason Badger culling is happening in the first place! These are the kinds of measures we should be investing our time, money and energy into. Instead, we’re once again having to fight to stop innocent animals from being made to pay the price. And what makes this all the more infuriating is that Wales has spent years pursuing a different approach from the mass badger culling carried out across England. Why on earth would we throw that away now? There is something profoundly depressing about spending years campaigning to stop wildlife persecution, only to find ourselves having to fight the very same battles all over again. But then I look back at today. At the people who travelled to Cardiff. At those who stood in the pouring rain holding placards. At the campaigners who have dedicated years of their lives to protecting badgers. At everyone who refuses to accept that killing wildlife should ever be the easy option. And suddenly, despite my best efforts to remain thoroughly miserable, I do find a little optimism after all. Because while there are people willing to stand up for animals who have absolutely no voice in the decisions being made about their lives, there is still hope. And let me be absolutely clear: a badger cull in Wales is not inevitable. Decisions have not yet been finalised, and there is still time for us to make our voices heard. But we cannot afford to be complacent. We cannot simply assume that common sense will prevail. And we certainly cannot allow the Welsh Government to believe that introducing a badger cull would be met with silence. So please, if you haven’t already, add your name to the Senedd petition calling for Wales to remain cull-free. SIGN THE PETITION And if you’ve already signed, please share it with someone who hasn’t. I want to finish by saying an enormous thank you to the Badger Trust, everyone involved in organising today’s demonstration, and every single person who came along. Seeing more than 100 people standing together in that awful weather was genuinely moving. These animals have done absolutely nothing to deserve what could be coming their way. They’re simply trying to exist in a country that ought to be doing everything it can to protect its remaining wildlife. The very least we can do is fight for them. Thank you, as always, for standing with us. Rob SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start your Substack

FROM PLANLIFE. A STORY OF SAVING A SPECIES

An epic tale of conservation action View this email in your browser Donate Join Shop John, did you know that we've just completed a rescue mission to save 3,000 rare wildflowers? The delicate, star-shaped, One-flowered Wintergreen is one of the rarest plants in the UK. It is estimated that more than half of the entire UK population of this flower has been lost over the last 50 years. Now, in the UK it can only be found in pine woods in North East Scotland. One of those sites is the stunning Culbin Forest in Moray. Deep in the woodlands, where iconic scenes from Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey were filmed, a large patch of One-flowered Wintergreen was in danger of being lost to coastal erosion. Read the story So we set out on a rescue mission! Plantlife Scotland, alongside our amazing volunteers, and partners Forestry and Land Scotland and NatureScot, successfully rescued thousands of the rare flowers through a process called translocation (the movement of a species from one location to another).  A total of 3,400 plants were moved in an attempt to save one of Scotland's rarest wildflowers. How we rescued One-flowered Wintergreen This type of ground-breaking conservation work will help make sure endangered species like One-flowered Wintergreen are not lost forever. We want to say a special thank you to our fantastic members and supporters who help make vital work like this possible. Find out how we helped protect one of our rarest and most vulnerable wild plants. Thank you, Charley Adams Plantlife Nature Editor Follow Plantlife on: Instagram Instagram Facebook Facebook YouTube YouTube LinkedIn LinkedIn Website Website Copyright © Plantlife All rights reserved. Plantlife International is a charitable company limited by guarantee. Registered Charity in England and Wales (1059559) & Scotland, (SC038951) Registered Company in England and Wales (3166339) Registered Office: Brewery House,36 Milford Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2AP, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1722 342730 enquiries@plantlife.org.uk www.plantlife.org.uk Plantlife respects your privacy. You can read more about how and why we use your personal data at www.plantlife.org.uk/privacy-notice Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

ARMISTICE, A POEM

I wrote this years ago. I was able to blend in memories, news items and my childhood visions of Herefordshire’s country lanes. My first visit on Armistice Day was in 1963 and I view it each year. With the continuing atrocities in Ukraine we are reminded again of loss, of waste in war. I have written four poems on the conflict initiated by Putin. There are many killers out there! Eleven Eyes take it in and feed the mind greens, in lines, and hues of them with depth and shadow Eyes at work on the hedgerows flailed, smashed hedgerows give cover for grasses and hemlock, tall and showing deathly white there among those waving heads delicate petals, plainly red looking past, the sides merge with the road as it bends blending green with green — much as thoughts do No sound is heard eyes see no detail just the canvas of it all The smudge of muddy soil and water mixed like dough robbed, stark trees blunt reminders in a no-man’s land consuming mud, hide sinew fragments of bone, broken belt with the stench of wasted lives Now brick and concrete hide the earth— another place for man to hide. Remember —we will —as flag draped coffins slowly pass for tomorrow —think of the earth — stay within its touch. Remember life skills. See the man as he strolls by with his dog —his lapel weeping red.

FROM WILD JUSTICE ON HUNTING WITH DOGS IN SCOTLAND AND DEFRA DELAYING A VERDICT ON WOODCOCK SHOOTING

Good morning, Today’s newsletter brings you news of our latest legal challenge, an update on the Woodcock consultation – or lack of one (!) Flushing to guns – our legal challenge in Scotland We’ve partnered with the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) to launch a legal challenge against NatureScot over its granting of licences to flush Foxes using more than two dogs. We believe that the licensing system is continuing to allow Fox hunting with packs of dogs in Scotland. The Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023 limits the number of dogs used to flush Foxes to two but it also allows more dogs to be used under licence, for either the management of wild mammals above ground, or for environmental benefit. These licences can only be granted if there is a strong justification, such as Foxes being likely to cause serious damage to livestock, and if no other solution (such as constructing fencing) would be effective. During the Bill’s passage, the minister told Parliament that a licence would only be “available in exceptional circumstances”. Evidence gathered by LACS via Freedom of Information Requests has revealed significant loopholes in this legislation which, we argue, has resulted in some licences being wrongly granted. We also argue that there has been a substantial lack of compliance monitoring by NatureScot. Our legal challenge comes as huntswoman Clare Bellamy was sentenced at Paisley Sheriff Court yesterday for illegally hunting a Fox. At the time, her hunt held a NatureScot licence to use more than two dogs. During the trial, Ms Bellamy and the landowner both said that once Foxhounds had the scent of a Fox, it was impossible to call them back. To read our joint press release follow this link. All’s (still!) quiet on the Woodcock front For years, Wild Justice has been campaigning for stronger protection for Woodcock – a species of high conservation concern (it’s Red Listed) which can be legally shot from 1 October to 31 January. We were really pleased when Defra finally launched a public consultation in March of this year, which proposed an extension to the close season (the period when they can’t be shot) in England and Scotland, alongside other changes which could result in better protection for other ‘quarry’ species. Wild Justice would prefer Woodcock shooting to be completely banned, however we’re aware this will take time, so we are calling for the closed season to be extended to 1 December. In the winter Woodcock populations are bolstered by significant numbers of migratory Woodcock from the continent. Shooting only during these winter months (December -January) would reduce the risk of resident Woodcock populations being severely impacted. It is a simple and straightforward ask – even the shooting industry organisations don’t support shooting Woodcock before December. You can read more about our position and action here. Defra’s consultation on amending the shooting season for Woodcock and other quarry species closed in mid-May, and the outcome was expected in August 2026, but it never appeared. In late September at the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) conference in London the Head of Wildlife Crime and Wildlife Management Policy at Defra announced that they plan to publish a response sometime in the next two months. However, on 6th November we received information from the Minister’s office that the consultation responses are still being analysed. We were told that when the analysis has been completed (no date!), Defra will publish a summary of the responses and will outline the next steps. Frustratingly, the wait continues. Unfortunately, this delay has meant that once again, the chance has been missed to minimise the impact on resident Woodcock populations this year as the shooting season for this species started on 1 October. As soon as we know more about the outcome of the consultation and subsequent decisions, we’ll let you know. Call for Evidence – thank you! We’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone who submitted evidence to Defra’s Call for Evidence on gamebird shooting and rearing which closed on 1 November. We’re grateful for the time you gave to this. It was an important opportunity to shine a light on the impacts of the gamebird shooting industry. Thanks also to those who have shared their evidence with us. As soon as we have any news about the outcome of Defra’s Call for Evidence, we’ll let you know. Thank you, Wild Justice (CEO: Bob Elliot. Directors: Chris Packham and Ruth Tingay). This is the 277th Wild Justice newsletter. This email was sent to you because you subscribed to it through the Wild Justice website or through an e-action or a petition where you ticked a box. Thank you. We will only use your personal details to send you the Wild Justice newsletter. We will not give or sell your details to anyone else. You can unsubscribe at any time: there is an unsubscribe button at the foot of this email or you can reply to this email and ask us to remove you from the list (the former will happen immediately, the latter might take a few days). 124, City Road London Greater London EC1V 2NX UNITED KINGDOM Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options

FROM PROTECT THE WILD WITH THREE GAME FARMS BURNING DEAD BIRDS AND ANYHTING ELSE. BLOODY HELL THREE FARMS

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Burn Piles Exposed: As seen on Channel 4 News PROTECT THE WILD NOV 7 READ IN APP The shooting industry loves to call itself the “guardian of the countryside”. But, behind the claim and the ‘game’ bird farm buildings, we found something else. Over the summer of 2026, Protect the Wild investigators filmed burn piles at three ‘game’ farms. At every single one, we found the same thing: the bodies of pheasants and partridges, chicks and unhatched eggs, dumped alongside plastic and rubbish, left to rot, and set alight in the open air. Not just “one bad apple” We didn’t just go to one ‘game’ bird farm. We went to three, on purpose. Whenever a single farm is caught out, the industry calls it a one-off. One bad apple in an otherwise good bunch. So we filmed Hall Farm Gamestock in Leicestershire, Minster Game near Nottingham, and Shreeves Game Rearing on the edge of Nottingham. Three farms. Three hatcheries. The same burn pile, again and again and again. We did this to prove it is not just one bad apple. It is systemic. It appears to be how an industry that breeds millions of birds just to shoot them gets rid of its waste. Become a Game Changer All three farms, could be the same burn pile right? What we found Hall Farm Gamestock. We first filmed this pile in 2025. This year, we came back for ten days. Bodies and rubbish were dumped several times a day, and the pile was set alight four times. Dead birds were thrown in loose or in plastic bags, topped with soft plastic and wood. On one occasion, a worker was filmed emptying a canister marked with hazard warnings into the ground, then throwing the canister onto the fire. We still do not know what was in it. Minster Game. Over two weeks, the pile grew every single day: plastic, rubbish, and bags of pheasant and partridge bodies, chicks, eggshell and unhatched eggs. It was set alight just once. The rest was left to rot, crawling with maggots, for foxes, buzzards and crows to pick at. Shreeves Game Rearing. In ten days, the pile was set alight five times. It sits in the middle of the farm, and every time it burns, the smoke rolls straight into raised cages of live pheasants with nowhere to go. We also filmed a whole truckload of plastic, pipes, cables and wood being tipped onto the pile and burned. Green claims, black smoke: the secrets the shooting industry burns Hall Farm rears birds for the Thorpe Estate. On its website, the estate boasts of wildflower meadows, miles of new hedgerow, hundreds of native trees and more than a decade of investment in renewable energy. It says it is mindful of safeguarding the planet for future generations. Meanwhile, at the back of the farm that rears its birds, plastic, chemical canisters and animal bodies were burned on an open pile, week after week. This is the shooting industry’s version of environmentalism. Plant a hedgerow. Post about it. Then burn the plastic and the bodies where nobody is looking. You cannot call yourself a guardian of the countryside while poisoning the air above it. Born to be shot. Binned at birth. The shooting industry breeds far more birds than it can use. The ones it does not want end up on the pile. At Minster, we found unhatched chicks still inside their eggs among the ash. At Shreeves, hatchery footage appears to show workers crushing the necks of unwanted chicks before throwing them out with the eggshell. Other times, live chicks were simply left in the trays and bagged up with the waste. A burnt chick inside their egg amongst the Minster farm burn pile. On 3 June, our investigator found a chick alive in the Shreeves burn pile, hours after the farm had hatched a batch of eggs. We called her Pippi. Her neck is badly deformed, which suggests a botched attempt to kill her before she was dumped. Against all odds, she survived. Pippi now lives at a safe sanctuary with other pheasants. How many others were not so lucky? Pippi was found in the Shreeves farm burn pile - more to come on her! Become a Game Changer An open buffet for disease Foxes, buzzards and crows were filmed feeding on these piles. Every visit is a chance for disease to move from farmed birds into the wild, and back again. In a country battling bird flu outbreaks year after year, that should alarm everyone. There are rules for this. Animal carcasses and eggs are classed as animal by-products, and must be collected by an approved company or destroyed in a licensed incinerator. Burning them on an open pile, mixed with plastic and rubbish, is in our view against the law. Yet at three separate farms, it appears to be routine. Proper inspections and tighter regulation could stop this. Right now, it seems nobody is checking. More to come This is just the overview. Over the coming weeks, we will dig into every angle of this investigation: what we found at each farm, the industry’s environmental claims, the chicks thrown away alive, and the laws that appear to be broken with no one watching. Join the movement. Become a Game Changer. This is exactly what your monthly donations help make possible. Undercover investigators gathering evidence. Hundreds of hours of shocking footage being reviewed. Investigations turned into powerful stories reaching millions of people through national television, the press and our social media channels. More investigations. More national exposure. More pressure on the shooting industry. And ultimately, a stronger, better-funded campaign to bring bird shooting for sport to an end once and for all. But we can only keep exposing what this industry is hiding with your support. Right now, we have 875 Game Changers. Our goal is 1,000 by the end of this year but we’d love to get there even quicker. Every monthly donation, no matter how big or small, helps us investigate more farms, expose more cruelty and bring us closer to ending this industry for good. Will you become one of our first 1,000 Game Changers? Become a Game Changer SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start your Substack

FROM AMY AT MARINE CONSERVATION SOCIETY

Marine Conservation Society logo View in browser In shallow waters, two children are splashing with their feet. To the right of the image overlaid on top is a common dolphin swimming away from the camera. There is a white outline of the Atlantic Coast on top of both images. Your November ocean update 24 hours left to donate. Hi John, Firstly, I have to say a huge thank you to everyone who responded to my email last week. I was so worried about our Atlantic Coast appeal as we were nowhere near our target. Thanks to the generosity of amazing ocean-lovers who dug deep and donated, we're now close to reaching our goal of £12,000. Can you be the spark the Atlantic Coast needs, John, to help us reach our target? Your donation could just be the one that gets us over the finish line in these final 24 hours. Yes, I'll donate £5 > Speaking of sparks for the ocean, Blue Planet 3 exploded onto our screens in spectacular fashion on Sunday night, and we couldn't be happier about it. It’s wonderful to discover some of the remarkable marine life found across the globe, will you be watching each week? This month, you can take action to safeguard Scottish waters so wildlife and habitats can thrive again. You’ll also find some gift ideas for those ocean enthusiasts in your life, from ocean-themed goodies to brands that support our ocean regeneration work. Let's dive in! Staff member Amy is smiling at the camera wearing a light pink jumper. Amy Digital Channels Manager Two puffins are pictured on a cliff edge. In the distance is the sea, with low clouds slightly obscuring the background. Credit: Kevin Morgans Be a voice for marine life Protect vulnerable seas With just a couple of clicks, you can do something major to help protect more of Scotland's seas. Responding to the Scottish government’s latest consultation could ensure over 160 inshore MPAs and Priority Marine Feature areas get the best protection. Don’t worry, you don’t need to live in Scotland to show your support. Take action > Eco-friendly gifts displayed on a sandy beach, including a navy drawstring bag with whale illustrations, a black tote bag with a lobster design, a reusable water bottle and a wrapped gift box among driftwood and shells. 'Tis almost the season Christmas gift guide If, like me, you have little ones at home, you’ll be in no doubt as to how many days away Christmas is (49). It can be overwhelming thinking of and buying presents, especially if you’re trying to minimise waste. To help you get ahead, we’ve curated a one-stop shop of gift ideas that will bring joy to recipients while giving back to the ocean. Inspire me > Facebook logo Threads logo Instagram logo LinkedIn logo Bluesky logo Contact Us General 01989 566017 info@mcsuk.org Membership membership@mcsuk.org Beach cleans beachwatch@mcsuk.org Fundraising fundraising@mcsuk.org The Marine Conservation Society is the UK charity dedicated to protecting our seas, shores and wildlife. Marine Conservation Society | Company Limited by Guarantee (England and Wales) No. 2550966 Registered Charity No. England and Wales No. 1004005 | Scotland No. SC037480 VAT No. 321 4912 32 Registered Office: Overross House, Ross Park, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 7US. Scottish Office: CBC House, 24 Canning Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8EG. Contact us | Privacy policy | Unsubscribe

HUNT SABOTEURS GIVE THE OCTOBER ROUNDUP OF CRIMINAL HUNTERS

View this email in your browser Hi, Supporter OCTOBER ROUND UP First conviction under Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023 October kicked off with Glasgow Hunt Sabs reporting that Claire Bellamy, ex-huntswoman and former Master of the Lauderdale Hunt, was found guilty under the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023. Footage which was obtained by sabs shows hounds chasing a fox outside the area covered by a licence that had been granted by NatureScot, and was described by the judge as “gut wrenching.” This is the first ever conviction under the new Scottish legislation and you can learn more about the legislation in Scotland and what led to Claire’s conviction here. Claire Bellamy found guilty of deliberately hunting a fox with dogs in January 2025. Image: Glasgow Hunt Sabs Drone theft On the 3rd of October Dorset Borders Sabs reported that their drone had been stolen by The Cattistock Hunt as they hunted in Corscombe, Dorchester. The last image visible on the drone was a known member of the hunt running towards it in a field. The incident has been reported to the police and thanks to the generosity of supporters Dorset Borders Sabs raised enough funds to replace the drone. What do you do when you receive a CPW? If you’re a fox hunt then you break it as soon as possible of course It didn’t take the Four Burrow Hunt long to break their Community Protection Warning (CPW) which had just been freshly issued by Devon and Cornwall Police. On the 10th of October the hunt was caught breaking condition 7 of the CPW, by failing to give police 24 hours’ notice of their meet. As they had failed to give the details of the meet this means they won’t have provided a map of their “trail” meaning they will have broken more conditions that just number 7. It remains to be seen what action the police will take. Read our recent article about CPW’s. Four Burrow Hunt were issued with a CPW after years of trespass and livestock worrying. Image: Kernow Sabs, Monitors and Animal Rights Team-Cornwall Stag hunting horror continues The horror of stag hunting has continued to escalate in the south west. On the 12th of October the Quantock Staghounds hunted a stag towards the A39 between Nether Stowey and Holford. This is a stretch of road where the hunt are continually causing chaos and putting people’s lives in danger. This particular incident resulted in a hunted stag running across the road and colliding with a car. A witness described how the terrified stag “was flipped over the top of the car. Its leg kicked out smashing the rear nearside window. The Stag landed heavily on the verge.” Luckily the woman driving and her small child were not hurt but were badly shaken up. The cruelty doesn’t end there. Two weeks later North Dorset Hunt Sabs reported that the Quantock Staghounds had once again inflicted sickening suffering and pain on a stag. This particular large stag had a visibly infected wound on his side and it is also suspected he had a broken leg. These injuries unfortunately indicate that it is likely the stag that was hit by the car. Despite these injuries the hunt continued to torture him, subjecting him to a chase through thick gorse which no doubt would have caused him unbearable pain. A stag hunted and terrorised by the Quantock Staghounds. Credit: North Dorset Hunt Sabs On the 22nd of October hunt master of the Quantock Staghounds, Christopher Gibbons and huntsman Martin Watts, appeared at Taunton Magistrates Court. Gibbons is facing two counts of hunting a wild mammal under the Hunting Act, and Watts is facing one relating to the barbaric five-hour chase and ultimate killing of a stag on the 23rd of April 2026. Both have pleaded not guilty and the case has been adjourned until the 18th of January 2027 for a case management hearing; no trial date has been set. In the meantime, the Quantock Staghounds are continuing to commit abhorrent levels of animal cruelty whilst putting the safety of the general public at great risk. This stag was tortured for five hours and ultimately killed on the 23rd of April by the Quantock Staghounds. Credit: Mendip Hunt Sabs They’re blatantly hunting foxes Amidst the CPW’s, convictions, court hearings, road chaos and trespassing, foxes are still being chased, like the one pictured below. Beds and Bucks Hunt Sabs along with Peterborough Hunt Sabs have been keeping the pressure on the Fitzwilliam Hunt, seeing no less than six foxes to safety on the 24th of October. Huntsman for the Fitzwilliam Hunt, Shaun Parish is due to stand trial in December for charges under Section 1 of the Hunting Act, relating to an incident back in November 2024. Whipper in Jacob Whalley has already pleaded guilty for the same incident. Fox number 1 of 6 escaping from the Fitzwilliam Hunt thanks to sabs. Credit: Beds & Bucks Hunt Sabs On the 31st of October North Dorset Hunt Sabs and Dorset Borders Hunt Sabs reported that the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale killed a fox at their opening meet at Purse Caundle. Footage obtained by sabs of the kill has been passed to the police and shows a fox breaking in front of hounds before they quickly descend and begin killing. The whipper in Ben Summersgill, runs in to retrieve the fox’s body and attempts to conceal it. The BSV are currently subject to a Community Protection Notice and in three years have racked up eighteen convictions; ranging from Actual Bodily Harm and theft to hunting offences. So once again we will wait and see what action the police take. Blackmore & Sparkford Vale whipper in tries to conceal the foxes body while sabs film from the sky. Credit: North Dorset Hunt Sabs On the 22nd of October the Duke of Beaufort Hunt were caught by Wiltshire Hunt Sabs and Cirencester Illegal Hunt Watch killing a fox near Calne. Upon noticing the drone overhead hunt staff moved in to remove the body. However, as they have proven in the past, the Beaufort Hunt do not care about being caught illegally hunting and just over a week later they were caught chasing a brace, which were flushed towards the pack of hounds. The Beaufort Hunt brazenly hunting a brace. Credit: Wiltshire Hunt Sabs On Friday the 16th October Northants Hunt Sabs caught the Quorn Hunt killing a fox during a kennel meet at Kirkby Bellars, near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. Northants Hunt Sabs drone caught riders surrounding a barn stacked with bales while hounds were at the side of the barn in narrow passageway. The drone then captured the huntsman swinging the dead body of a fox, encouraging hounds to repeatedly tug and pull at it. This continued on before the hunt realised the entire thing was being recorded from up above. They then tried to hide the fox’s body and conceal their identities before leaving the area. The footage of this kill lays bare the horror of hunting. Credit: Northants Hunt Sabs The release of this footage coincided with the British Hound Sports Association “trail” hunting day, whereby they attempted to promote the non-existent sport of following a pre laid trail. As this footage demonstrates, “trail” hunting is a smokescreen, but the loopholes in the law are allowing hunts to continue, so the HSA has asked its supporters to contact their MP, making them aware of this footage and asking them to push for a full ban on hunting with hounds. Following on from the “trail” hunting day, a member of West Midlands Hunt Sabs was interviewed by the BBC. Speaking to a reporter they said “Hunting hasn’t stopped. Our role is to document it, expose it, show that it’s still happening…There are too many loopholes that the hunts exploit. They get around it by saying “we’re following a trail, it was just an accident that a fox came out.” A fox recently hunted by the Warwickshire Hunt Credit: West Midlands Hunt Sabs All of the cases reported on in this article have been taken from HSA affiliated groups who are working tirelessly to stop blood sports. Please find your local group here and show them some support. If you would like to support the HSA you can do so by donating or becoming a member for only £20 a year. With cub hunting season coming to an end, we are now entering the main fox hunting season and sabs are still out there working tirelessly to save wildlife and expose blood sports. Credit: Bristol Hunt Sabs Join the Hunt Saboteurs Association! Support our vital work by becoming a member. Join The HSA Spread the word! Please share our news Share via email Facebook icon Instagram icon Twitter icon Logo Copyright (C) 2026 Hunt Saboteurs Association. All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from Hunt Saboteurs Association. Our mailing address is: BM HSA, London, WC1N 3XX, U.K. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe