BUMBLEBEE CONSERVATION TRUST — THE BUMBLES NEED OUR HELP EVEN MORE — INTERESTING READ

view online Bumblebee Conservation Trust logo Bumblebee with tongue out on round yellow spire flower with blue background As March brings the first real signs of spring, it marks a crucial moment for bumblebees as queens emerge from hibernation in search of food and nesting sites - making this one of the most important times of the year to support them. We share the latest results from our BeeWalk scheme, a chance to bee-come a member and a FREE downloadable guide to help bumblebees in your space. Bumblebee season is on it's way, so let's get ready! Bumblebees still struggling according to latest BeeWalk results 🐝 Red tailed bumblebee on blue cornflower with grass in background Despite the sunniest spring on record and a sweltering summer, Britain's bumblebees are still struggling, and the latest BeeWalk report reveals some surprising trends. While a few rare species are showing hopeful signs of recovery, many of our most familiar bumblebees remain in decline. What’s really happening to Britain’s bumblebees, and why aren’t ideal weather conditions enough to help them recover? Full news story 🐝 Scotland and Wales introduce new laws to restore nature 🪧 People dressed as animals in fluffy costumes holding placards Scotland and Wales have both brought in important new laws that aim to protect wildlife and help nature recover. These changes could be a big step forward for the recovery of bumblebees, other pollinators, and the many species that urgently need better protection. Find out more and how you can help 💚 Let's start gardening!🪴 Terracotta and glazed blue pots with green and purple flowers and herbs The importance of gardens as bumblebee havens is more significant than ever. The good news is you don’t have to be an expert gardener to help bumblebees; you don’t even have to have a garden! A window-box, balcony or hanging basket will do. This guide is full of simple tips to get your space buzzing. Download your FREE guide ⬇️ Bumblebee in the spotlight 🔎 Side profile of a bumblebee feeding on purple flower with two sparkle graphics The Early bumblebee (Bombus pratorum) is one of the 'Big Eight' common and widespread bumblebees. Let's take a closer look. The Early bumblebee Bumblebee on purple flower with yellow tinged background with words in blue and white 'Join the club!' Love bumblebees? Join the club 🐝 Bumblebees are in trouble, and the world would be a much quieter (and less colourful) place without them. Become a member TODAY and receive a welcome pack buzzing with goodies so you can help the bumblebees. Together, we can protect them for the future. Choose your membership 💌 Lady standing in garden of wildflowers wearing a grey/blue T-shirt Explore our stylish clothing line to add a pop of nature‑inspired flair to your day, or pick up a charming notebook - perfect for jotting down your gardening plans, wildlife sightings, or brilliant ideas while outdoors! Check out our collections, including the popular 'Herbs for bumblebees' collection (photo). Shop with purpose. Look great. Support bumblebees. Shop Teemill 🛒 Bumblebee Conservation Trust. Registered Charity No: 1115634 / Scottish Charity No: SC042830. © 2026 Bumblebee Conservation Trust. All rights reserved. You are receiving this newsletter because you are already a member, subscribed via our website, an event or when becoming a volunteer. We hope you enjoy reading it! Registered address: International House, 109-111 Fulham Palace Road, London, W6 8JA; Correspondence address: Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Beta Centre, Stirling University Innovation Park, Stirling FK9 4NF Unsubscribe

BEAUFORT HUNT CAUGHT KILLING & BIN-BAGGING ANOTHER FOX — CHANNEL 4 NEWS HIGHLIGHTED THEM BEFORE

View this email in your browser Hi, Supporter Bin-Bag Beaufort Caught Killing and Bin‑Bagging Yet Another Hunted Fox On Friday 6th March 2026, the day before their Point‑to‑Point, the Duke of Beaufort Hunt were once again caught hunting and killing a fox. This latest incident follows a recent Channel 4 News exposé which featured the Beaufort, alongside other hunts, actively hunting and killing foxes. WATCH THE VIDEO Bin-Bag Beaufort Caught Killing and Bin‑Bagging Yet Another Hunted Fox Sabs had already recorded a kill on the Fosse Way in November 2025, earning the hunt one of their many nicknames: the “Bin Bag Beaufort.” They were again filmed killing a fox on the Duke’s Badminton Estate on 20th December 2025, and another at Cranmore Farm, Shipton Moyne, on 3rd January 2026 also earning them the nickname “serial killers” by Channel 4 News senior correspondent, Alex Thompson. Numerous additional chases have been documented, with video evidence showing hounds pursuing foxes deep into coverts, often out of sight, leaving outcomes unknown. Terrier-man exits Duchess Clump with his terrier On the day in question, sabs had already witnessed a fox being hunted into Duchess Clump—only metres ahead of baying hounds—when hunt whistles were heard. Earlier that morning, before the hunt even began, terrier‑men were filmed leaving Duchess Clump, which contains an Artificial Earth) carrying a terrier under their arm. This is routine at the Beaufort, and sabs had already unblocked another AE elsewhere that same day. One of the blocked AE’s found the same morning After second‑horsing at Luckington Barn, the huntsman led the hounds and field riders towards Commonwood Farm, quickly casting them into hedgerows to search for foxes. Hounds showed particular interest in a small clump of trees, appearing to pick up a scent. The huntsman and two point riders then moved the pack along the hedgerow to continue the search. The huntsman slowed, appearing to blow his horn, waiting for the hounds to regroup. Moments later, the hounds doubled back to the exact spot where a field rider was waiting “on point”—almost certainly having seen the fox and alerted the huntsman. The hounds raced back at speed, watched by the field, and were quickly joined by the huntsman as they entered the hedgerow. A small group of hounds then dragged a terrified fox from the edge of the hedge and began tearing the animal apart. The fox is dragged from the hedge and killed in front of hunters who do nothing to stop the attack. The huntsman approached and, instead of stopping the attack, calmly dismounted and produced yet another bin bag. Riders attempted to shield the scene from the drone as the fox’s mangled body—clearly visible from the air—was retrieved. Not enough bin bags in the world to hide the Beaufort’s many crimes. The huntsman left swiftly, leaving two riders to dispose of the evidence. Disposing of the evidence While the kill and removal were underway, the drone team was surrounded by masked terrier‑men and hunt supporters, clearly waiting for the drone to land. This hunt has a history of drone theft: in November 2024, the Beaufort used their own drone with a weighted tether to entangle and crash a sabs drone before stealing it. Another attempt followed on 11th January 2025, again using a weighted tether, shortly before the same individuals assaulted sabs later that day. Given this backdrop of theft, aircraft endangerment, and illegal hunting, foot sabs rushed to protect the drone team. Upon arrival, they found masked terrier‑men, supporters, and day‑glo stalkers surrounding the drone car. Once they realised multiple cameras were filming, most fled, leaving only a handful behind. Police were called. Masked men, many with registration plates deliberately muddied out, surround a sab car awaiting the drone landing. When officers arrived, one immediately sought out the stalkers’ apparent “boss,” Jonny Walker—a known hunt stalker and hunt host. The officer did not engage with sabs, including the drone pilot, before speaking with Walker. A rural crime officer viewed the footage on the drone controller, and another officer from Chippenham Response also attended. Stalker ‘boss’ Jonny Walker activates his police hotline - who then rush to him for a quiet pre-briefing (Image taken on 14/03/2026, courtesy of Mendip Hunt Sabs) As Channel 4 News recently highlighted, “one alleged crime a day is not enough for the Beaufort Hunt.” True to form, once the area had cleared, sabs relaunched the drone and immediately witnessed another chase: a fox flushed from New Covert and driven toward Alderton Grove Farm, with a terrier‑man on a quad opening gates for the huntsman. Terrier-man Paul Tasker and Stalker ‘Boss’ Jonny Walker attempt to gain entry to the drone car prior to police arriving. Sabs relayed live updates to officers, who attempted to locate the hunt. However, the earlier RPU officer remained with the drone and, upon its landing, seized it—despite it containing evidence of at least one kill and several chases. At no point were the hunt stopped. No officer attempted to locate the fox’s body in the bin bag. No effort was made to deploy a police drone. Instead, officers removed the sabs’ ability to quickly locate the hunt and prevent further kills. “I’ll have that thank you very much, the hunt can get on with hunting foxes now” The drone has since been returned to Wiltshire Sabs following a week‑long campaign exposing the circumstances of its seizure. Home safe and sound A spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association said: “Once again, prolific fox killers, the Duke of Beaufort’s Hunt, seem able to avoid police scrutiny even as wildlife crime is unfolding. This hunt, repeatedly filmed hunting and killing foxes this season alone, has been the subject of numerous police investigations. While police drag their heels, sabs are in the fields and skies doing their best to prevent wildlife crime and provide evidence to the often lackadaisical officers who attend. We will continue until a proper ban is in place—and until it is properly enforced by those paid to uphold the law.” You can follow Wiltshire Hunt Sabs here and support their work here. 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

ON THE ROOF OF NATURE SCOTLAND TWO MEN WITH GANNET ATTIRE PROTEST ABOUT GANNET KILLING

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more BREAKING: Anti-Guga Hunt Activists Chain Themselves to Roof of NatureScot HQ They say they'll stay there "for days if we have to." DEVON DOCHERTY MAR 20 READ IN APP At 4am this morning in Inverness, two activists from campaign group Abolish the Guga Hunt scaled the HQ of NatureScot, chained themselves to the building, and dropped a banner reading: ABOLISH THE GUGA HUNT. Jamie Moyes and Allan Jackson - dressed as Gannets - hauled themselves onto the highest ridge above the building’s glass roof before first light, protesting against NatureScot’s complicity in the killing of Gannet chicks on a remote Scottish island. Alongside the banner, the pair placed a bloodied model of a baby Gannet - a stark symbol of the despicable practice they are demanding be brought to an end. TELL NATURESCOT: END THE GUGA HUNT What this is about Every single year around August or September, 10 men from the Isle of Lewis travel to the remote island of Sula Sgeir to kill hundreds or thousands of Gannet seabird chicks (known as Guga) to eat as a local delicacy. The activity has been happening for centuries and while it once was linked to a survival need, is now done purely to maintain the tradition. The chicks are not yet old enough to fly when they are snatched from their nests, beaten to death with a heavy rod, plucked, gutted and scorched over open flames. This happens in full view of other chicks, nearby seabirds and the chick’s parents, who circle overhead and call out helplessly as their only chick is slaughtered. This is not survival. This is needless cruelty - and NatureScot allow it to happen. The Guga hunt can only take place if NatureScot - Scotland’s official Nature agency - give out a licence for it. That licence is discretionary. They are not obliged to grant it. Yet they do, year after year, and claim that it’s all done “humanely.” It’s a disgrace. SIGN THE PETITION Sula Sgeir was designated as a Special Protection Area due to its internationally important population of breeding seabirds, including Gannets. In fact, Scotland is home to almost half of the world’s Northern Gannet population, making it one of the most important countries on Earth for the survival of this species. Continuing to authorise the killing of Guga against this backdrop is totally and utterly indefensible. In a nation facing a biodiversity emergency, the overriding priority must be nature recovery, not the maintenance of an outdated cultural tradition that directly conflicts with that goal. “We’re prepared to stay here for days if we have to.” Speaking from the roof, Jamie and Allan said “We’re prepared to stay here for days if we have to.” They said they are prepared to go to Sula Sgeir to stand between the hunters and the birds, and try to save the chicks. But this should never come to that. NatureScot can stop it now by doing the right thing and refusing this year’s licence. How you can help We are so close to hitting 50,000 signatures on the petition to demand Naturescot brings an end to this abhorrent practice. Please add your name today and help save lives. SIGN THE PETITION SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

FROM THE MIGHTY HUNT SABS — CAUGHT IN THE ACT — HOUNDS LEAVE DEPOSITS BEHIND — NO ACTION TO CLEAN UP

View this email in your browser Hi, Supporter FOUL PLAY: ONE RULE FOR THE HUNT, ANOTHER FOR THE REST OF US On Saturday 4th October 2025 at Laxton, Nottinghamshire a hunt sab dashcam recorded at least four separate incidents of dog fouling as the hunt left the meet. The pack was the Grove & Rufford Hunt who had managed to field just five riders. The Grove & Rufford Hunt don’t give a crap. The hunt rampaged through the local village with no concern for other road users, with poorly controlled hounds peeling off and entering people’s gardens, only stopping to relieve themselves as they went. The hunt, of course, carried on its merry way unconcerned about the dog mess being left behind. Apart from a violent incident later in the day when a heavy chain was thrown at sabs it was uneventful. On reviewing the dashcam footage sabs reported the four recorded dog fouling incidents to the local council, Newark & Sherwood. After supplying the video, screenshots and a lengthy statement the sabs waited four and a half months only to be told that the complaint would not be actioned: ‘as we cannot say definitively that the dog faeces was not removed within a reasonable time scale.’ Foul behaviour: hunt riders couldn’t care less. Following a complaint on this decision they responded with the same ‘reasoning’. They did not say if they had even questioned the masters of the Grove & Rufford. They did claim they would write to the hunt, telling them to clean up after their hounds next time! It seems that at no point were the hunt contacted to see if they claimed they had picked up the poo. Perhaps the district council expects us to post a hunt sab on each steaming pile and film it for four hours or something. The idea that anyone whose dogs foul four times and then rides off, would return to clean-up is laughable and we doubt if anyone else had been filmed fouling the pavement they wouldn't have been treated in such a lenient manner. Poo on the pavement. Local authorities can issue a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of up to £100 on the spot for such offences, and we can only assume that his was not done as hunts always seem to be given preferential treatment by councils up and down the country. We look forward to the day that the rural community are not afflicted by the countryside vandals of organised hunting. We ask any local residents to keep an eye out for future incidents and perhaps contact the council asking why the hunt was let off so easily after such damning evidence. 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

WHAT A GOOD IDEA — IT’S NO MO MAY AGAIN — FROM PLANTLIFE

No Mow May 2026 View this email in your browser Donate Join Shop Hi John, We wanted to let you in on a little secret – we’re launching No Mow May early! That’s right, it’s back and this year, it’s going to be bigger and better than ever before. So, if you want to be a No Mow Hero, it couldn’t be simpler: Sign up. Stop Mowing. Sit back and let it grow! Pledge to take part in No Mow May We thought that the start of spring would be the perfect time to launch the campaign. And with the winter we’ve had, spring can’t come soon enough. We’re ready to swap the mud for wildflowers. We can’t deny it’s been a wet and wild few months. In fact it was the one of the wettest winters on record in central and south west England – not to mention one of the warmest. Our climate is changing and nature needs us more now than ever. One way we can all help is by pledging to let our lawns grow. Less mowing not only saves you effort and money, it reduces your carbon footprint, gives you a deeper connection to nature and provides a lifeline for other wildlife including pollinators. Be part of the No Mow Movement Whether you’ve got a big garden, a small courtyard or even a spare plant pot – no space is too small, and it all adds up to huge gains for nature. We hope you’ll pledge to let it grow for nature this year. Thank you. Charley Adams, Plantlife Nature Editor Follow Plantlife on: Instagram Instagram Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter 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.

PROTECT THE WILD — IS HOLDING A PLACARD AN ARRESTABLE OFFENCE/ NO IT ISNT. SHOWS THE POWER OF A FEW

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Arrested for holding a placard: An interview with Saule and Jack from Camp Beagle TOM ANDERSON MAR 18 ∙ GUEST POST READ IN APP On 24 February, animal defenders Saule and Jack were arrested at Camp Beagle, a protest camp against the MBR Acres beagle breeding facility in Huntingdon. They weren’t charged, but were given police bail conditions not to return to the protests. MBR - or MarshallBioResources - supplies 2000 beagles a year to the animal testing industry, including to Labcorp (formerly known as Huntingdon Life Sciences). The company is licensed to harvest blood and body parts from the dogs for sale. Protect the Wild and Lawyers for Animals caught up with Saule and Jack to speak to them about their arrest. Jack at the protest outside MBR Acres on 4 February. Judicial review On 4 February, the House of Lords rubber-stamped an amendment to the Public Order Act 2023 that classified animal testing sites like MBR Acres as ‘Key National Infrastructure’, paving the way for the criminalisation of protest. The fateful vote in the Lords came despite the best efforts of campaigners from Camp Beagle, Animal Aid, Naturewatch Foundation, Protect the Wild, and others. The definition of animal testing sites as ‘Key National Infrastructure’ followed several meetings between government ministers and corporate executives in the ‘Life Sciences’ industry, including representatives of MBR Acres. Lawyers for Animals, alongside co-claimant Maria Iriart from Camp Beagle, have brought a judicial review against the decision. The claim argues that extending these powers to cover animal testing goes beyond what parliament intended when it passed the 2023 Public Order Act. The arrest of Jack and Saule less than three weeks after the expansion of Public Order powers shows that this government, like governments before them, are bowing to pressure from the animal testing industry to restrict public protests. The repression at Camp Beagle comes despite Labour promising in its December 2025 Animal Welfare Strategy that it would phase out animal testing. Campaigners at Camp Beagle have pointed out that, between October and December 2025, the government “granted 111 licences authorising the use of 1,542,870 animals, including three licences to test on 5,450 beagles”. It seems like Labour’s actions aren’t in line with its supposed strategy. Saule and Jack at the protest outside MBR Acres. The MBR beagles deserve “loving homes” Saule and Jack are both long term protesters against MBR Acres (MBR). We asked them what it is that inspires them to keep going. Jack told us: “we want to see it shut down. We want to see the beagles freed and in loving homes like they deserve. They don’t deserve to be in cages skidding around in their own faeces and urine. 510 dogs to a cage, no enrichment, no walks, no treats. It’s just a disgusting place, and it needs to be shut down”. The dogs held at MBR are kept in dire conditions, left unattended for as long as 23 hours a day and never taken out into the fresh air. Talking about the conditions for the dogs that he had seen in undercover footage taken inside MBR, Jack said: “They’re just desperate for any attention like any dog would be. You know what I mean? They’re just trapped in cages with no enrichment. It’s clear that those dogs just, just don’t want to be there. They want to get out. They want to be free.” Saule said that she had seen the undercover footage from inside MBR as well. She said that the dogs are kept in “rows and rows of concrete pens. Faeces everywhere, hundreds of dogs, and the noise is just deafening. It’s so loud and they’re all just jumping at the cages. It’s really horrible.” ‘An embarrassment for Cambridgeshire Police’ Jack and Saule were protesting at the gates of MBR Acres on 24 February, as they had done many times before, holding up placards as the workers drove into the facility. The site security called the police, as they often do. When officers arrived they did nothing to stop the demonstrators, indicating that they didn’t see any evidence that the protest was unlawful. Several other campaigners joined the protest too. Police stand by as Jack protests a car entering MBR Acres. Officers did not give a warning to protesters on 24 February. Later that day, police entered Camp Beagle saying that they had been told “to make some arrest attempts”. Saule was arrested close to the camp, and Jack was taken from his van. Officers seemed unsure what the arrests were for, warning Saule that she was being arrested for breaching Section 17 of the Public Order Act, which relates to the treatment of journalists by police officers. Presumably this was a mistake as she isn’t a journalist and didn’t even have a camera at the demonstration. In fact, Section 17 governs police actions and doesn’t even contain a power of arrest. Jack was arrested on suspicion of Obstruction of the Highway, coupled with allegedly Interfering with Key National Infrastructure. Police arrest Saule for the wrong offence (presumably). Jack described the shambolic policing: “They’d clearly not briefed these officers who turned up. They’ve obviously just been told to go there. They’ve not been briefed on what they’re actually arresting us for. They’ve just said, arrest them for this. And they couldn’t even get that right, you know, they couldn’t even get the section right for Saule. I mean it was like it was their first day of policing. It was really very embarrassing for Cambridgeshire Police.” When Jack got into the back of the police van, he noticed that it was stained with blood. Saule described her feelings on being handcuffed and put in the back of the van: “I was just so angry, you know, that I was the one being criminalised. And there’s people going in to MBR Acres and bleeding these dogs.” Things didn’t improve when the two campaigners got to the police station. The cops were ‘pally’ (aka fishing for information), but pretty clueless about what the pair had been arrested for. It seemed like the officers on the ground had received orders ‘from on high’. According to Jack: “They made a bit of small talk, had a bit of a banter. I think they were just maybe following orders, just doing the job. But, you know, where have we heard that before? I think it leads to very dangerous outcomes when you’re just blindly following orders and not questioning why you’re actually doing this to people like us.” Saule and Jack were interviewed by a Police Constable, not a Detective. He watched the CCTV footage of the protest for the first time during the interview itself. After turning off the tapes he reportedly admitted: “I’m not actually sure what they’ve arrested you for there. I can’t see a point there where you’ve actually done anything wrong.” Animal testing sites aren’t ‘Key National Infrastructure’ This whole debacle occurred because the government amended the Public Order Act to classify animal testing sites as ‘Key National Infrastructure’. We asked Saule and Jack what they thought of the proposition that MBR Acres was key infrastructure. Saule replied: “It doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. They labeled it as Key National Infrastructure on the basis of pandemic preparedness, but then what actually increases the risk of a pandemic happening is things like factory farming and the wildlife trade. And who’s funding that? The government.” Jack argued that ‘Key National Infrastructure’ should refer to “motorways, airports, things that are essential for the running of the country“, whereas “Life Sciences, animal testing. If that didn’t exist, the country wouldn’t grind to a halt, the economy wouldn’t collapse. It doesn’t seem like it’s an essential thing in any sort of way“. Meanwhile, a victory for direct action When we carried out our interview with Jack and Saule, news had just come in that five of the people who carried out a daring rescue of 18 beagles from MBR Acres in December 2022 had been found not guilty of burglary by a jury at Peterborough Crown Court. The verdict marked the last of four trials resulting from the 2022 action, and the second acquittal for beagle rescuers at MBR. Other defendants have sadly been found guilty and, in some cases, given suspended prison sentences of up to 18 months. Saule said that the verdicts show that: “the public is on our side. I think also the comments on the videos of our arrests were really supportive too, the general consensus is that this is wrong. This shouldn’t be happening. There’s a lot of support and we just have to focus on that. The answer isn’t to give up. If anything its to keep going, keep fighting.” An image from Animal Rising’s rescue operation on 30 December 2022 Saule and Jack were arrested while other people on the protest weren’t. They told us that they felt they could have been targeted because they are active at the protests and in spreading news of the campaign on social media, which may have resulted in MBR security pressuring the police for their arrest. On a wider level, Jack said that he thought Cambridgeshire Police must be under a lot of pressure from MBR and now also the government to make use of the new Public Order powers. Jack told us that, despite the arrests, repression wouldn’t stop them from continuing campaigning. He said: “The police have tried to crush this movement a number of times in the past. If you look at the [Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty, or] SHAC campaign, for example. But no amount of legislation or police repression will stop this movement. We’re rooted in compassion and empathy for all sentient life, we’re not motivated by money. These corporations, are just motivated purely by greed and money, but we have something so much more. We’ll never give up. We’ll never stop fighting for the animals, ever.” Animal testing: an industry protected by state repression The moves to criminalise protest outside MBR Acres and other animal testing facilities is part of a long history of state repression aimed at shielding the animal testing industry from public dissent. The SHAC Campaign was a militant direct action campaign set up in 1999 aimed at closing down Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS - which was taken over by Labcorp in 2015), one of the world’s largest animal testing facilities and one of MBR’s customers. After a long campaign by SHAC nearly brought HLS to its knees, the UK government stepped in and facilitated the bailout of the company by the Bank of England. Repression against the movement was intense, with police following a strategy of “leadership decapitation” against the SHAC campaign. Thirteen people were eventually sentenced to almost 70 years in prison between them for conspiracy to blackmail HLS, in one of the biggest political crackdowns in recent UK history. Associated campaigns were also targeted with new legislation introduced by Tony Blair’s Labour government. These included people organising against Sequani, another company involved in animal testing. Sean Kirtley of the Sequani 6 was convicted and imprisoned in 2008 for ‘Conspiracy to interfere with the contractual relations of an animal research facility’ under section 145 of Labour’s Serious Organised Crime and Police Act’ (SOCPA 145). Kirtley, whose alleged conspiracy was the organisation of a protest campaign, later successfully appealed his conviction. To read more about the repression of the SHAC campaign check out this report from 2014 by research group Corporate Watch. Civil injunctions have also been a way for companies involved in animal testing to restrict protests outside their premises. Private companies are technically responsible for obtaining injunctions in the civil courts. However, in reality, police forces often provide information about campaigners to corporate lawyers to back up injunction claims. Injunctions have been used for decades to protect cruel testing by the likes of HLS (now Labcorp), Oxford University and many more. Many historic injunctions have restricted activities by ‘persons unknown‘, effectively binding any member of the public who protests outside the facilities. MBR Acres applied for an injunction after Camp Beagle was established in 2021. However, John Curtin of Camp Beagle fought against their case in the High Court and was successful in stripping away the most repressive aspects of the planned injunction. The court imposed a restriction on obstruction and trespass by named people, instead of the much wider order sought by MBR. The battle for freedom to protest continues outside the gates of MBR. Campaigners have recently released videos of private security guards attempting to ‘serve’ the injunction on protesters outside the gates of the facility. Literally throwing the documents in people’s faces. Stand with Camp Beagle According to Protect the Wild’s Rob Pownall: “It is deeply concerning that two peaceful activists were arrested simply for holding a sign. If even the police appear unsure what offence has been committed, it raises serious questions about how these new protest powers are being used. Peaceful protest is a fundamental democratic right, and laws that create confusion or arbitrary enforcement risk undermining that right.” At Protect the Wild, we stand with Camp Beagle in saying that the Labour government’s moves to restrict protest against the ‘Life Sciences’ industry on the one hand and promises to phase out animal testing on the other make no sense. Watch this space for news about Lawyers For Animals and Camp Beagle’s judicial review of the classification of animal testing sites as ‘Key National Infrastructure’. Sign Camp Beagle’s petition to ‘End testing on dogs and other animals for the development of products for human use’. Visit the camp. Check out some of the whistleblower footage from inside MBR Acres. Read about Animal Rising’s ‘Free the MBR Beagles’ campaign. Thanks to Saule, Jack, Camp Beagle and Animal Rising for the pictures used in this piece. A guest post by Tom Anderson Journalist for Protect the Wild Subscribe to Tom SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

FROM PROTECT THE WILD — GORDON RAMSEY COOKS A DELICACY THAT WAS A GANNET CHICK — REPULSIVE OR WHAT

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Gordon Ramsay cooked baby seabirds into a ‘delicacy’ and the footage is hard to stomach. What he discovered wasn’t cuisine - it was pure cruelty. DEVON DOCHERTY MAR 17 READ IN APP Footage has emerged showing celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay travelling to a remote Scottish island in search of a “rare” “delicacy”. But what he uncovered wasn’t cuisine - it was pure cruelty. In the four minute long clip, filmed as part of an episode of his series The F Word, Ramsay sets out for the Isle of Lewis in northwest Scotland to cook and eat young seabird chicks. The birds are killed during the Guga hunt, the UK’s last legal seabird hunt, where hundreds or thousands of Gannet chicks (known locally as Guga) are slaughtered every year as part of a cultural tradition. Yanked from their nests with a pole, the chicks - who are still too young to fly - are completely defenceless and unable to escape. They are killed by being beaten over the head with a rod. They are plucked, scorched and dismembered in full view of other birds, including their parents. This is the so-called “delicacy” Ramsay travelled hundreds of miles to partake in. Sign the petition A dying tradition Gordon carries himself with a familiar sense of entitlement throughout - making light of the process and quipping that this may be his “last chance” to eat Guga before the practice is ended. He calls the Gannets “notoriously greedy” - an interesting choice of words from someone pursuing one across land and sea for the sake of a novel culinary experience. But his comments betray a deeper truth; that the hunt’s days are numbered. The Guga hunt is only legal due to a narrow exemption in the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981), allowing Gannets to be taken from the island of Sula Sgeir under licence from NatureScot - Scotland’s public Nature Agency. The licence is discretionary, and every year NatureScot actively signs off on the death of these innocent chicks for the sake of maintaining a cultural tradition. There is currently a petition to stop this year’s licence going ahead, and it’s close to reaching 40,000 signatures. Tell NatureScot: Stop the Guga hunt Gordon’s reaction also reveals something else: Guga isn’t needed. This isn’t about food security or survival. It is, quite simply, a delicacy. The Guga hunt is a practice once rooted in subsistence, but it is now continued for tradition’s sake alone. And as if to make matters worse, he finds the whole ordeal repulsive. Gordon recoils at the sight and smell of the chicks’ carcasses, treating it as some kind of challenge. It feels pointless, trivial, and deeply disrespectful - a total and utter waste of life. It only goes to show how unnecessary this hunt truly is, and how little respect there is for these incredible birds. A species at risk - and still being killed Scotland holds nearly half of the world’s Northern Gannet population, making it one of the most important countries on Earth for the survival of this species. But they are now under extreme threats from climate change, bird flu, and other human disturbances. Gannets are built for life at sea - not for slaughter. We should not be making a spectacle of their killing. We should be protecting them. Killing wildlife for a delicacy is unacceptable. Gannets shouldn’t be on the menu. Sign the petition Support us to help end the Guga hunt. Protect the Wild have been relentlessly campaigning to bring a permanent end to the Guga hunt. Over the last few months, we’ve helped bring this shady practice out of the shadows and into the spotlight. We've released hard-hitting animations, reaching millions, with more on the way. We’ve secured national media coverage, met with MSPs and other key decision-makers, and helped drive a surge in public awareness and opposition to the hunt. Support us We’ve commissioned polling that shows 69% of Scots with a view want the law changed to end the hunt, while 72% do not believe the hunt holds cultural importance. We’ve hired a full-time Scottish campaigner to drive this work forward on the ground, and supported wildlife photographer Rachel Bigsby’s government petition - now surpassing 100,000 signatures, making it the fourth most signed petition in Scottish history and the largest animal welfare petition Scotland has ever seen. At the same time, we’ve put sustained pressure on NatureScot not to grant this year’s licence - forcing this issue onto the desks of those with the power to bring it to an end. This is only the beginning, and we will not stop until the UK’s last seabird hunt is finally history. But we can't do that without your support. All of this has been made possible by ordinary people choosing to support our work - giving a few pounds a month to help drive real change. You can help power this work by donating a small monthly amount. Your support saves lives. Support Protect the Wild SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

WILD JUSTICE WIN IN COURT —DARTMOOR COMMONS HAVE BEEN MISMANAGED BY OVERGRAZING

Good morning! …and good news! Today we can finally bring you an update on our Dartmoor case – we won! Wild Justice wins High Court ruling that Dartmoor commons have been mismanaged We're pleased to tell you that the High Court has ruled in our favour on our legal challenge about overgrazing on Dartmoor, in which we argued that ecologically valuable (and protected) areas of the National Park were being failed by the body responsible for looking after them. In July 2025 we attended the High Court in London, where our lawyers argued that the Dartmoor Commoners' Council (DCC) had failed in its statutory duty to properly manage grazing on Dartmoor commons. This morning the presiding judge, The Honourable Mr Justice Mould, has ruled that DCC has failed to carry out quantitative and qualitative assessment of stocking levels that the law requires. We had additional grounds, which the court rejected, but we only needed one of our grounds to succeed in order for us to win our case. We brought this challenge because the evidence has long pointed to overgrazing as a significant driver of ecological decline on Dartmoor. A government-commissioned review in 2023 found the commons to be "not in a good state", with many Sites of Special Scientific Interest in unfavourable condition. Despite this, DCC had taken no meaningful steps to assess or control livestock numbers, and the commons have continued to be nibbled and gnawed to the detriment of their precious habitats and species. Dartmoor commons cover more than two-thirds of Dartmoor National Park — around 36,000 hectares of open land. Under the Dartmoor Commons Act 1985, the DCC has both the authority to grant grazing rights to local landowners and a legal responsibility to protect the conservation of that land. Our case centred on the fact that DCC had not been fulfilling the second part of that obligation. This ruling doesn't fix Dartmoor overnight, but it does establish clearly that DCC must now do the work it should have been doing all along. That means undertaking qualitative and quantitative assessments of how many livestock the commons can sustainably support, and taking action when overgrazing becomes evident. We'll be keeping a close eye on how DCC responds and what steps it takes from here. Dartmoor is a remarkable landscape and it deserves to be managed in a way that gives nature a real chance to recover and thrive. You can read more about the High Court ruling in a press release on our website – please click here. In the meantime, we’d like to extend a huge thank you to our brilliant legal team who helped us take another case through the courts. Thank you Ricky Gama, Carol Day and Madeeha Akhtar at Leigh Day, David Wolfe KC at Matrix Chambers and Jake Thorold at 39 Essex Chambers. It’s a real privilege to be represented by these exceptional environmental lawyers. Thank you also to the locals who first brought this issue to our attention and whose crucial insight and expertise helped us to build the case. And a huge thank you to you, our supporters, whose donations allowed us to take on this legal challenge. Our work would simply not be possible without your backing, and this win is as much yours as it is ours. If you like who we are, what we stand for, and how we do it, please consider making a small donation to help cover our costs. There are various ways of doing this, e.g. by cheque, bank transfer, or PayPal – you can find the details on our website here. Thank you. That’s it for now – although more coming soon! Wild Justice (CEO: Bob Elliot. Directors: Chris Packham and Ruth Tingay). This is the 263rd 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 BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL — HOW THEY CAN HELP THE REDLISTED BIRDS

View email in browser Hi John, I often write to share updates on our work and how your support makes a difference. But there’s something we don’t talk about often enough: how do we know when birds are in trouble? That’s where our work on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species comes in. As the global authority for assessing all 11,185 bird species, we track extinction risk, spotlight those most at risk, guide conservation action, and show where efforts are working. Often called a “barometer of life,” the Red List is built on years of rigorous science and global expert review. Each species is assessed and assigned an IUCN threat category — from Least Concern to Critically Endangered, or, tragically, Extinct — so we know where action is needed most. It was a Red List warning that helped spark action for species like the European Turtle-dove, now seeing signs of recovery for western breeding populations, and the Hooded Grebe, whose future has been given hope through habitat protection in Patagonia. Even species like the Guadalupe Junco, once on the brink, show us that when science guides action, recovery is possible. The Red List gives us clarity in uncertain times, showing where birds are struggling and where change is still possible. If you’d like to be part of that hope, please donate today so we can act when and where it matters most. Warmest wishes, Mairianne Walker | BirdLife International Supporter Team Instagram Facebook YouTube Website You are receiving this email because you opted-in to hear from BirdLife International BirdLife International is a registered charity 1042125 Address: BirdLife International The David Attenborough Building Pembroke Street Cambridge CB2 3QZ UK For full details on how we collect, use and store your personal information see our Privacy Policy. update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Copyright © 2026, All rights reserved.

FROM CORNWALL WILDLIFE TRUST — AN UPDATE ON COSTS AND REQUEST TO DONATE MORE

View this email in your browser Dear John Before I begin, if you’ve recently increased your membership, thank you so much. Your additional support truly means a great deal, and please forgive us if this email crossed with your update. You should by now have received your Wild Cornwall magazine together with a letter from me. In that letter, I shared just how much your support is achieving across our nature reserves — from restored wetlands and newly planted woodlands to wildflower meadows returning — and through our wider conservation work, including seagrass restoration in the Fal estuary. Every acre protected and every habitat improved is possible because of members like you. I also explained the growing challenge we’re facing — one felt most urgently by wildlife. Rising costs and inflation mean caring for our reserves is becoming more expensive. Even so, we recently took on 53 acres at Bartinney and 97 acres at Helman Tor, because expanding these sites is essential for Cornwall’s wildlife and natural beauty to recover. This has increased our annual costs by £27,663, and it now takes £10.80 per month to care for each vital acre of our nature reserves. Essential work — from habitat restoration and grazing management to marine monitoring and repairing storm damage — depends on steady membership support. So, I’m getting in touch to gently follow up on my letter. You already give £3.50 each month, and your generosity means so much. If you feel able to increase your membership today, even by a small amount, it would make an even bigger difference for Cornwall’s wildlife and wild places. Your additional support would help meet rising costs across our nature reserves and continue the vital conservation work happening every day across Cornwall. Updating your gift is quick and easy. Simply reply to this email with your new amount or click below to adjust it online: Increase my membership gift We’re especially grateful you continued your membership after recent rate changes—thank you. If it feels manageable, an optional increase could help strengthen the work you make possible for wildlife and habitats across Cornwall. Thank you for reading and for everything you do for Cornwall’s wildlife. Whatever you decide, please know how deeply grateful we are. Because of you, Cornwall’s wild places have a brighter future. With warmest thanks, Callum Deveney Director of Nature Recovery Cornwall Wildlife Trust P.S. If all our members gave just £1 more a month, we could plant 23 new acres of woodland this year. That’s space to shelter birds, bats, and countless other creatures while capturing carbon for the climate. Facebook icon Instagram icon LinkedIn icon YouTube icon © 2026 Cornwall Wildlife Trust. All rights reserved. Registered charity number 214929. Privacy Policy and T&Cs Our mailing address is: Cornwall Wildlife Trust Five Acres, Allet, Truro, Cornwall, TR4 9DJ Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list.

FROM AMY AT MARINE CONSERVATON — FAMILY LOVE IS ALWAYS A MUST

Four great marine animal mothers View in browser A sea otter mother lies on her back in water with her pup lying asleep on her chest Credit: Erik Ihlenfeld Hi John, As Mother’s Day approaches, I wanted to shine a light on four underwater mothers and their own unique parenting styles. Let's start off with the adorable sea otter who, as you can see in the image above, will swim on her back to carry her pup for the first few months of its life until the pup can swim on its own. It really makes me smile – it's how my baby daughter currently sleeps on me at night; all of the cuddles! A bottlenose dolphin is swimming through blue water It takes a village to raise children – and the same is true for most dolphins who live in pods of up to 15, working together to raise their young, protect themselves from predators and catch food together. Strength in numbers is true for the deep sea octopus too, with thousands captured on camera in Planet Earth III gathering together to look after their brood of eggs. And it wouldn't be a wildlife-themed email without a mention of puffins. These wonderful birds work together as a team to raise their young – and as well as being super cute, their young have an adorable name: pufflings! Learn more about marine mothers Wishing you a wonderful rest of the week, I'll be in touch soon with some exciting news... Amy Digital Channels Manager Marine Conservation Society Rockstar Mother's Day gifts A white tshirt with an illustration of a turtle playing the drums In case you missed it, we've launched an amazing new rock band collection in our shop. Featuring iconic marine species such as a shark, turtle and crab, the new designs are an expansion of our incredibly popular rocktopus collection. So if you're looking for a perfect gift for your rockstar Mum, here's your sign! Show her that she's shredding it at motherhood and say a big ‘shell yeah’! Much better than flowers again, right? Shop the new collection Donate Our shop Contact us Unsubscribe The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) 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.

GRAPHIC CONTENT THROUGHOUT AS THE HUNT SABS TELL ABOUT QUANTOCKS AND STAG HUNTING

View this email in your browser Hi, Supporter ‘Pick And Mix’ Cruelty At The Quantocks Staghounds Graphic Content Throughout As we have reported over the last few weeks, several members of an HSA covert intelligence unit attended a number of West Country staghounds meets in Autumn 2025. This final report focuses on the Quantocks Staghounds. Quantocks kill in the 2023 season. At the first meet on 18th September 2025, our operatives witnessed a laughable speech from a hunt master who claimed that the hunt conducts ‘Research and Observation’ of stags but that “trails may also be laid.” The Quantocks will also routinely claim to be flushing to guns - using two dogs – and to be ‘rescuing a casualty’ animal with no sense of irony. Basically, they use a pick and mix approach, invoking any loophole they choose to mask their illegal stag hunting. On the 25th of September our investigators witnessed yet another mature stag being chased across the hills until he collapsed. A healthy, prime animal - who should have been entering the rut - was instead lying dead in a field, surrounded by ghoulish hunt supporters posing for photos with his broken body. Hounded to exhaustion on 25th September 2025. Four days later, new team members were back on the Quantock Staghounds to witness another prolonged and brutal chase through Shepherds Coombe where the stag was eventually killed. Exhausted and unable to escape, he was brought down for yet another tally on their “season total.” The Quantocks Staghounds’ victim of 29th September 2025. Once again, our investigation has revealed how determined, extremist stag hunters are constantly adapting to evade accountability or charges: a ban on ‘trail hunting’ – though urgently needed – will not be enough in itself to stop these hardened hunters in their tracks. Only our comprehensive set of proposals – based on over sixty years of sabotaging all types of bloodsports - will really end hunting with hounds. Complicit in the cruelty of stag hunting are the Exmoor National Park Authority who have done nothing to ban the practice, ironically using a stag head as their logo, they make no mention of the animal being hunted and killed on their web site but do use the deer to promote tourism. It seems odd that people can be banned from the use of drone - which could be used to protect deer - but that hunts and their mechanised vehicles are allowed to chase and kill the same animals with impunity. Contact the Exmoor National Park Authority here www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk 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

SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT WILL DISCUSS THE GUGA HUNT — ANOTHER FROM PROTECT THE WILD

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more GOOD NEWS! for the campaign to end the Guga hunt Today, the Scottish Parliament ensured this petition will carry forward - and with it, a real chance to change the law. DEVON DOCHERTY MAR 11 READ IN APP Today, MSPs made an important decision. They unanimously decided to keep Rachel Bigsby’s petition to end the Guga hunt open and carry it forward to the next Parliament. Here’s why this matters. The current Scottish Parliament is about to dissolve ahead of the upcoming election in May. With this government’s term coming to an end and parliamentary business rapidly winding down, the Committee could easily have closed the petition, simply saying that time had run out. But they didn’t. Instead, they recognised that the scale of public opposition to the Guga hunt demands scrutiny - not silence. They acknowledged that significant concerns surrounding the hunt remain unresolved and must be properly examined. In our submission to the Committee, we highlighted that seven seabird species within the Special Protection Area where the hunt takes place are already on the brink of immediate collapse - having been officially assessed as being in unfavourable conservation status by the very agency that licenses the hunt, NatureScot. Tell NatureScot: STOP THE GUGA HUNT We warned the Committee that allowing the Guga hunt to continue would further endanger an already vulnerable colony, and undermine Scotland’s reputation as a leader in conservation and sustainable wildlife tourism. On Monday we held a silent protest ahead of today’s committee meeting, urging MSPs: Don’t silence the public. Because of this morning’s decision, this issue will now land directly on the desk of MSPs in May, forcing them to reconsider the outdated legal exemption in the Wildlife and Countryside Act that allows this hunt to take place. You made history This only happened because more than 100,000 of you spoke up. 100,000 people said that tearing young seabirds from their nests and killing them for tradition is no longer acceptable, and that the law must reflect this. This petition made history. It was the largest put before this government, the fourth largest in Scottish history, and the largest ever relating to animal welfare in Scotland. So thanks to every one of you who added your name, and to wildlife photographer Rachel Bigsby for starting the petition. You forced the Guga hunt into public consciousness and onto the political agenda. You made sure it could not be quietly dismissed. And you helped create a real pathway to changing the law and ensuring this abhorrent hunt is consigned to the history books where it belongs. Photograph of Gannets by Rachel Bigsby. Here’s what we must do now With Parliament now effectively on pause ahead of the election, attention turns to NatureScot. They hold the power to stop this year’s hunt by refusing to license it. The licence application could arrive any day now, and when it does, we’ll need the strength of this movement ready to make itself heard again. Tell NatureScot to end the Guga Hunt Help fund the campaign to end the Guga hunt Over the coming months, however long it takes, we will be working tirelessly to bring an end to the Guga hunt. We will continue conducting scientific research to strengthen the case against it, pushing the Government petition forward, and applying pressure on NatureScot to revoke the licence. Our efforts will combine public demonstrations, sustained public pressure, and direct engagement with decision-makers. We are determined to bring this issue into the mainstream. That means producing another hard-hitting animation, publishing regular online content that reaches hundreds of thousands of people, and ensuring the issue cannot be ignored. In just the past week alone we have secured national press coverage, reached over 500,000 people through our social media channels, helped generate more than 1,500 emails to NatureScot, and ensured the Government petition remains open for future consideration. You can help power this work by donating a small monthly amount. Your support will allow us to continue the research, campaigning, and public outreach needed to keep the pressure on, and to do everything we possibly can to end the Guga hunt for good. Support Protect the Wild SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

ANOTHER POST FROM THE HUNT SABOTEURS — PROVING THAT HUNTS ARE CONTINUING TO BREAK LAWS

𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲’𝘀 𝗮 𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗱𝗯𝘂𝗿𝘆 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁 Last Saturday, 28th February, the Ledbury Hunt met at Old Colwall. It was a brilliant, warm, sunny day, if still very wet underfoot. Shame it was ruined by this gang of wildlife crims. Sabs anticipated the route the hunt would take well throughout the day, and it’s fair to say the hunt moved on swiftly, on several occasions not drawing woods we expected them to. Thanks to Welsh Border Hunt Sabs who joined us once they were sure the Cotswold Vale Farmers Hunt were not going out. Hounds were hardly heard in cry, that lovely sunshine had fortunately burnt off any fox’s scent. The only exception to this was when hounds were cast into Slatch Wood between Coddington and Bosbury. Hounds went quickly into cry and crossed over, casting around in a field adjacent to the road and Old country Wood. Here all chaos broke out and we are pretty sure the hounds were rioting on deer. Deer were seen fleeing in all directions, and hounds were in and out of Old Country Wood, the surrounding paddocks, and roads, causing absolute havoc. We’re pretty sure the hunt is absolutely not welcome on Old Country Wood, but do they care? Not one bit. Outgoing huntsman, Mark Melladay, could be heard vainly attempting to gather hounds from a distance, while joint master Louise Daly sat on her horse unperturbed as stray hounds held up traffic and went off on jollies in all directions. Eventually, the hunt moved on up the drive to The Riddings while we went round by road nearly as far as Norbridge. Mellady could still be heard gathering hounds. He’d just about got them all on by the time we arrived cross country at The Riddings. The rest of the day was quiet, just the way we like it. Apart, that is, from masked (but we still know who he is) violent terrierman, Ross Loader, threatening to smash one of our sab’s camera. This tells you all you need to know about the Ledbury, happy to keep the likes of Loader around to do their dirty work - which is not limited to carrying terriers around for digging out, but has previously included assaulting sabs. Any info please contact us by text, WhatsApp or phone (evenings best for the latter) on 07347120065 Thank you to everyone who has donated recently. Our vehicle is due in for MOT shortly in readiness for next season, and some visits to the West Country to sab the stag hunts. Support us if you can via the Ko-fi link in our bio.

FROM PROTECT THE WILD — PROTEST IN SILENCE — ABOUT GUGA HUNT OR ANYTHING?

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more “Don’t Silence Us”: Silent Protest Outside Scottish Parliament as Guga Hunt Petition Hits 100,000 DEVON DOCHERTY MAR 9 READ IN APP Today outside the Scottish Parliament, we stood in silence. Tape over our mouths. Not because we had nothing to say. But because more than 100,000 people have spoken out against the Guga hunt - and they are now in danger of being silenced. In less than 48 hours, the Petitions Committee will make their final decision on the fate of Rachel Bigsby’s petition, which calls for an end to the barbaric tradition that sees 10 men bludgeoning baby Gannet chicks to death on the island of Sula Sgeir. At their last meeting on January 21st, the Committee agreed to shortlist the petition as one of the very few allowed to be carried forward to the next session of parliament after May’s elections. Now it’s decision time. On Wednesday, they have two options: close the petition down, or keep it open and carry it forward, allowing MSPs to properly scrutinise the exemption in law that allows the Guga hunt to happen. Sign the petition History in the making Reaching 100,000 signatures is not only a major milestone, it made history. It makes this petition: the largest petition put before this current Scottish government. the fourth most signed petition in Scottish Parliament history. the largest animal welfare petition Scotland has ever seen. That only happened because of each and every one of you who took time out of your day to add your name and take a stand for the Gannets of Sula Sgeir. So thank you. If you haven’t yet added your name, then it’s not too late, but you’ll have to act fast. Sign the petition Next time you hear from us, we’ll be letting you know what Parliament has decided - and where this campaign goes next. Enter our monthly raffle that’s drawn tomorrow! You could win: A Gannet Sculpture Set (created by the wonderful Sarah Brabbin) An Ocean Eco Bottle A Garden Bee Biome Entries are just £1 each, and every penny of profit goes straight back into protecting British wildlife — supporting undercover investigations, bold animations, nationwide campaigns and lobbying, essential field equipment and mental health support for activists, fearless journalism, in-depth reports, and much more. Enter the raffle SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

FROM CORNWALL WILDLIFE TRUST — A REMAINDER OF TEMPERATE RAINFOREST IS NOW SAFE

View this email in your browser Hi John Imagine yourself walking through a quiet Cornish valley. The air is cool with moisture - ferns spill over moss-covered stones, and a nearby stream trickles. Birdsong carries through the trees. You’re standing in temperate rainforest. Once common in Cornwall, this habitat is now incredibly rare. Yet thanks to a remarkable gift in a supporter’s Will, there is hope. West Muchlarnick Farm was left to Cornwall Wildlife Trust with a simple wish: that it would benefit wildlife. Today, it’s the heart of our 50-year Temperate Rainforest Project, restoring much of the land to this rare and beautiful habitat. As a member, you’re already helping create a Cornwall where nature thrives - and we’re so grateful. Some members choose to make that impact last for generations. Not every gift in a Will is a farm. But every single one helps shape the future of Cornwall’s wildlife. Learn about Gifts in Wills here Free Wills Month You may have seen other charities promoting free Will-writing at this time of year. But planning for the future shouldn’t be limited to one or two months in a year. That’s why we’ve partnered with Cornwall based Lacuna Wills and the award winning Make a Will Online, both of which can offer supporters a free Will-writing service, all year round. If you choose to leave a gift in your Will to Cornwall Wildlife Trust, you can help protect and restore precious wild places – and the wildlife that depends on them – so future generations can enjoy them as much as you do. Start your free Will here A lasting gift to Cornwall’s wildlife Many of the people who choose to leave a gift in their Will are members, just like you. They’ve spent years walking Cornwall’s coast paths, exploring rockpools and wandering in ancient woodland - and doing what they can to tackle the growing threats to Cornwall’s wildlife. Including a gift in their Will can feel like a natural next step - a way to protect the places they love long into the future. Every gift, no matter the size, makes a lasting difference. Nature really does bring so much joy. It’s up to all of us to make sure future generations can enjoy it too. Request your free Gifts in Wills brochure here Get in touch - we’d love to hear from you If you’re interested in leaving a gift in your will, or you’re already planning on leaving us a gift, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We'd love to get to know the generous people who choose to remember us in their Will. With warmest wishes, for now and in the future, Tom Mercer Individual Giving Officer Cornwall Wildlife Trust tom.mercer@cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk P.S. If you’ve already chosen to leave a gift to Cornwall Wildlife Trust in your Will, thank you so much. If you’re happy to let us know, we’d love to thank you properly and keep you updated on the difference your future gift could make. Please note: Cornwall Wildlife Trust works with a number of independent will-writing providers to help supporters who wish to make a Will. There is no obligation to leave a gift to Cornwall Wildlife Trust in order to use any of these services. Full details can be found here. Facebook icon Instagram icon LinkedIn icon YouTube icon © 2026 Cornwall Wildlife Trust. All rights reserved. Registered charity number 214929. Privacy Policy and T&Cs Our mailing address is: Cornwall Wildlife Trust Five Acres, Allet, Truro, Cornwall, TR4 9DJ Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list.

FROM CORNWALL WILDLIFE TRUST — HELP REBIRTH OF TEMPERATE RAIN FORESTS BY LEAVING A WILL

View this email in your browser Hi John Imagine yourself walking through a quiet Cornish valley. The air is cool with moisture - ferns spill over moss-covered stones, and a nearby stream trickles. Birdsong carries through the trees. You’re standing in temperate rainforest. Once common in Cornwall, this habitat is now incredibly rare. Yet thanks to a remarkable gift in a supporter’s Will, there is hope. West Muchlarnick Farm was left to Cornwall Wildlife Trust with a simple wish: that it would benefit wildlife. Today, it’s the heart of our 50-year Temperate Rainforest Project, restoring much of the land to this rare and beautiful habitat. As a member, you’re already helping create a Cornwall where nature thrives - and we’re so grateful. Some members choose to make that impact last for generations. Not every gift in a Will is a farm. But every single one helps shape the future of Cornwall’s wildlife. Learn about Gifts in Wills here Free Wills Month You may have seen other charities promoting free Will-writing at this time of year. But planning for the future shouldn’t be limited to one or two months in a year. That’s why we’ve partnered with Cornwall based Lacuna Wills and the award winning Make a Will Online, both of which can offer supporters a free Will-writing service, all year round. If you choose to leave a gift in your Will to Cornwall Wildlife Trust, you can help protect and restore precious wild places – and the wildlife that depends on them – so future generations can enjoy them as much as you do. Start your free Will here A lasting gift to Cornwall’s wildlife Many of the people who choose to leave a gift in their Will are members, just like you. They’ve spent years walking Cornwall’s coast paths, exploring rockpools and wandering in ancient woodland - and doing what they can to tackle the growing threats to Cornwall’s wildlife. Including a gift in their Will can feel like a natural next step - a way to protect the places they love long into the future. Every gift, no matter the size, makes a lasting difference. Nature really does bring so much joy. It’s up to all of us to make sure future generations can enjoy it too. Request your free Gifts in Wills brochure here Get in touch - we’d love to hear from you If you’re interested in leaving a gift in your will, or you’re already planning on leaving us a gift, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We'd love to get to know the generous people who choose to remember us in their Will. With warmest wishes, for now and in the future, Tom Mercer Individual Giving Officer Cornwall Wildlife Trust tom.mercer@cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk P.S. If you’ve already chosen to leave a gift to Cornwall Wildlife Trust in your Will, thank you so much. If you’re happy to let us know, we’d love to thank you properly and keep you updated on the difference your future gift could make. Please note: Cornwall Wildlife Trust works with a number of independent will-writing providers to help supporters who wish to make a Will. There is no obligation to leave a gift to Cornwall Wildlife Trust in order to use any of these services. Full details can be found here. Facebook icon Instagram icon LinkedIn icon YouTube icon © 2026 Cornwall Wildlife Trust. All rights reserved. Registered charity number 214929. Privacy Policy and T&Cs Our mailing address is: Cornwall Wildlife Trust Five Acres, Allet, Truro, Cornwall, TR4 9DJ Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list.

FROM PROTECT THE WILD — CONVICTIONS FOR HUNTERS. ARE WE GETTING SOMEWHERE WITH LAW & ORDER

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Hunting Update - Two hunters found guilty of assaults on sabs and more TOM ANDERSON MAR 6 ∙ GUEST POST READ IN APP February 2026 saw several hunt members convicted for violence against wildlife and wildlife defenders alike. Meanwhile - as we wait for the Labour government to make good on its promise to ban the facade of ‘trail hunting’ - UK hunts have recently been caught on camera killing hares, foxes and deer. As usual, their actions show a complete disregard for the Hunting Act. Also in this update: Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan is calling on the government to tighten up all the loopholes in the Hunting Act, not just some. We name and shame the worst UK hunts, according to the statistics. In late January, Northants Hunt Saboteurs caught terriermen hired by the Cottesmore Hunt red-handed as they were digging out a badger sett. This shameful action came barely a month after the British Hound Sports Association caved to pressure and issued guidance that fox hunts should not engage in terrierwork. Hunts across the UK continued to cause havoc on the roads as their hounds ran out of control. One dog was tragically killed in Teeside while a hunt in North Wales abandoned another. February 2026 saw several convictions for hunt-related violence On 19 February Protect the Wild reported the dramatic conviction of Philip Saunders, huntsman for the Pipewell Foot Beagles, who admitted breaking Section 1 of the Hunting Act after encouraging hounds to kill a hare. Footage taken by wildlife defender Emma Reed went viral, leading to Saunders’ arrest. Saunders even had his hunting horn confiscated by the court. But the charges that had been brought against master and whipper-in Rachael Lenton as well as the Pipewell Foot Beagles Limited as a body corporate were dropped. The prosecution against Sam Jones of the Cottesmore Hunt, however, was unsuccessful. Jones was on trial for an incident on 18 January 2025 where he is heard “doubling” his hunting horn, urging the pack on toward a fox. His acquittal by Leicester Magistrates Court on 5 February prompted Northants Hunt Saboteurs to write that “the law is not fit for purpose and is continuing to fail wildlife.” During February there have been two other hunt-related convictions for violence against wildlife defenders. Nathan Goulding, joint hunt-master of the Cotswold Vale Farmers Hunt, was found guilty of assault and battery after he rode his horse at two female hunt saboteurs during a hunt meet on 21 January this year. His case was heard in Cheltenham Magistrates Court on 20 February. The Hunt Saboteurs Association wrote: “Hunts should know that the days of assaulting sabs with impunity from the law are over, and that the internet has a very long memory. Well done to Welsh Border Hunt Sabs for pursuing this conviction.” The court ordered Goulding to pay £676 in court costs and issued him with a six-month conditional discharge (essentially a slap on the wrist). Banned from using a shotgun Toby Flemming, Convicted of common assault, image courtesy of Suffolk/Norfolk Hunt Saboteurs. On 4 February, Norfolk/Suffolk Hunt Saboteurs (NSHS) reported that Toby Flemming - the owner of Eastgate Farm in Marham - was ordered to pay a fine of £1536 after being convicted of common assault on a lone female wildlife defender. Flemming also had his shotgun license revoked. NSHS wrote on their Facebook page: “We hope not to see him with a shotgun shooting hares. We will be watching you.” The group told Protect the Wild: “All of us at Norfolk and Suffolk Hunt Sabs welcome the conviction of Toby Flemming. There are far too many attacks on Sabs that are ignored or cases messed up or lost. We are glad the right outcome happened here. We are also happy his shotgun license was revoked so he can’t kill any more hares this year.” Hunt sab headbutted The cases of Goulding and Flemming are by no means isolated incidents. In fact, yet another hunt member was arrested on 24 January. Beds & Bucks Hunt Saboteurs (BBHS) were working that day with Peterborough Hunt Sabs, trying to prevent wildlife crimes by the Fitzwilliam Hunt. BBHS described on their Facebook page how Fitzwilliam huntsman Shaun Parish: “became highly agitated and abusive after he was prevented from hunting and proceeded to dismount his horse and act in an aggressive manner” At the same time, Fitzwilliam rider George Kennedy used a horse as a weapon to pin a sab up against a tree. The whole incident was filmed by sabs and Parish was arrested by officers from Cambridgeshire Police after he headbutted one activist, then took off his riding hat and hit them in the face with it. The three convictions above, together with the violence by the Fitzwilliam Hunt, show once again the menace that hunts pose to our wildlife and to members of the public. As parliament dithers over when to hold the consultation over Labour’s long-promised ban on ‘trail hunting’, hunts are left to run wild. If you’ve been affected by violence and abuse from the hunt it can be useful to get mental health support. Protect the Wild is funding a trained counsellor who can provide sessions to monitors and sabs. Click here to find out more. Check out our Protectors of the Wild page on ‘Assaults and the Law’. Donate to Welsh Border Hunt Sabs here. Help Norfolk/Suffolk Hunt Saboteurs buy more body cameras, to enable them to pursue convictions like the one against Toby Flemming. Click here to donate. Support Beds & Bucks Hunt Saboteurs. Labour’s Neil Duncan-Jordan calls for an end to the falconry exemption The government has confirmed - in answer to a written question by Montgomery and Glyndŵr Labour MP Neil Steve Witherden - that it has made “no assessment” of the effectiveness of the falconry exemption, which governs the use of birds of prey in fox hunting, and it has no plans to close up the loophole. The 2004 Hunting Act’s falconry exemption states that “flushing a wild mammal from cover is exempt hunting if undertaken… for the purpose of enabling a bird of prey to hunt the wild mammal”. Unlike other exemptions contained in the Hunting Act, this one doesn’t contain a two-dog limit. As a result, a full pack of hunting hounds is legally able to flush out a fox or hare for a bird of prey to then kill. Since 2004, ‘falconry’ has provided a ready-made smokescreen for hunts to get away with hunting with hounds. In 2005, DEFRA noted its concern that many hunts were rushing to buy raptors, as the presence of the birds at a hunt is a sure-fire way to establish plausible deniability over whether hunts are intending to flout the law. In 2018, the falconry exemption was tested out in court in 2018 when huntsman George Adams and falconer John Mease of the Fitzwilliam Hunt found themselves in the dock. Adams was convicted of illegal hunting, but Mease was acquitted on the grounds that the hounds on the day were not his responsibility. Minister confirms that exemption will not be reviewed Witherden had asked what assessment has been made by DEFRA of the effectiveness of exemptions permitting the use of birds of prey in fox hunting activities; and whether it planned to review its policies. Dame Angela Eagle - Labour minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - replied that: “The department has made no assessment of the effectiveness of exemptions permitting the use of birds of prey in fox hunting activities and has no plans to review those provisions.” From Neil Duncan-Jordan’s Facebook page. Duncan-Jordan: ‘This loophole has got to go!’ Poole’s Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan has expressed concern to the Minister over the response. He wrote: “The falconry exemption is a classic smokescreen for hunting with hounds. You wouldn’t fox hunt with a falcon - the British Hawk Board warns against even attempting it. A hunter was even caught on tape calling the exemption “a good wheeze”. This loophole has got to go! We need a truly watertight ban that removes the covers used to kill wildlife. I’ve warned ministers for months: a narrow focus on trail hunting alone won’t cut it.” According to Protect the Wild’s Rob Pownall: “It’s absurd that the government says it won’t even look at the falconry exemption when hunts routinely hide behind exemptions like this to continue their sordid activities. If we’re serious about a watertight ban on hunting, every exemption and every loophole must be properly examined and closed.” Use Protect the Wild’s automated tool to email your MP and demand that they ensure that Labour follows through with enacting a proper ban on hunting, including closing ALL the loopholes. Foxes, deer and hares killed by hunts during February Hunts have continued their cruel bloodsport over the last month, and it’s not just foxes that have fallen victim. The Rural Crime Team at Cambridgeshire Constabulary is investigating the killing of a hare by the Thurlow Hunt on 26 January at Horse Heath in Cambridgeshire. North London Hunt Saboteurs released this GRAPHIC FOOTAGE: On 9 February, the Thurlow’s hounds killed another hare, this time near Weston Colville in Suffolk. Deer fall victim too On 21 February, Northants Hunt Saboteurs reported that the Cottesmore Hunt’s pack ripped apart and killed what appeared to be a muntjac deer. Huntsman Sam Jones, undeterred by his recent brush with the law, disposed of the animal’s body. They wrote: “Jones can be seen dismounting his horse to pick up the dead animal and toss it over the saddle of his horse. We can’t be 100% sure that this wasn’t a fox but what we can be certain of is that the Cottesmore killed a wild mammal and have been caught out again! A life is a life and the Cottesmore have sadly taken another.” https://scontent-lhr6-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/638949465_1313139297513939_3205214613719368077_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=7b2446&_nc_ohc=mCN_m4Hz3qUQ7kNvwF-B4Vn&_nc_oc=Adn-ts2hRZPFIuqRu-LTCPp__kGgvXo7ZNHDLkEpywuVGBQZeYAe8DyWDWXgpvj15Nk&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-lhr6-1.xx&_nc_gid=IANC1oKUEGJiicINdvobag&_nc_ss=8&oh=00_AfxKtgkAcYbHGim7kZmLFGWacZ789rh6wQMA1pkVNSVdbg&oe=69ADEF89 Sam Jones hoists the body of the muntjac onto his saddle - courtesy of NHS The Middleton Hunt’s pack also mauled a deer on 31 January, and police were called to put the animal down. Calder Valley Hunt Saboteurs wrote angrily: “Is no animal safe from these killers?” Fox’s tail ‘a sick trophy’ Several foxes were killed too in February. On the same day as the muntjac was killed, Herefordshire Hunt Saboteurs caught the Herefordshire and Clifton Hunt’s terriermen blocking up a badger sett. They were dismayed to find that they had arrived too late. A fox’s brush lay on the ground like “a sick trophy of the kill”. That day, Cirencester Illegal Hunt Watch, Bristol Hunt Saboteurs and Wiltshire Hunt Saboteurs also sabbed the Beaufort Hunt, who blocked up badger setts, terrorised wildlife, and killed yet another fox. As Labour continues to sit on its hands, wildlife is paying the price. Please help North London Hunt Saboteurs carry on the fight against the likes of the Thurlow. They are currently fundraising money needed for their 4x4s. You can make a donation to their ongoing work here. Donate to support Northants Hunt Sabs to protect wildlife from the menace of the Cottesmore. Check out Cirencester Illegal Hunt Watch. Make a contribution to Herefordshire Hunt Saboteurs and/or to Calder Valley Hunt Saboteurs. Which are the worst hunts in the UK? Ever wondered which hunts are the biggest menace to wildlife and wildlife defenders in the UK? Protect the Wild was asked this question by a supporter recently. We put together these statistics from the data we’ve been collecting since 2023, gathered from open-source reports shared by hunt saboteurs and monitors. hunt supporter punches campaigner boxing day 2025 Violence is common at hunt events. This picture shows a hunt supporter punching a wildlife defender on Boxing Day 2025. Here’s what we came up with... The data below shows numbers of foxes chased, foxes killed as well as major and minor attacks on wildlife defenders and other members of the public. As you can see, some of the UK’s worst hunts are: Gloucestershire’s Beaufort Hunt, King Charles and Camilla’s old hunting crew, who Protect the Wild and the Hunt Investigation Team filmed shooting their hunting hounds in the head after they were no longer deemed of use to the hunt. North Dorset based Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt (BSV) are consistently high up on the list too. They shocked Channel 4 viewers in 2024 when the tearing up of a fox in a residential garden at Pelsham Farm the previous year hit the headlines. Four of them were convicted under the Hunting Act last year. They are notoriously violent to members of the public too - in 2024, Dorset Police Rural Crime Team arrested two men associated with the BSV Hunt after a string of attacks against hunt sabs and their property. The East Midlands-based Cottesmore are up there as well. They have become infamous for hiring thugs to attack sabs and their vehicles. Dorset’s Cattistock Hunt is also worth a mention. They were caught red-handed last year killing a fox at Abbotsbury Swannery and narrowly escaped conviction in 2023 after chasing a fox onto a railway line. Finally, last ‘season’s’ top three included Devon’s Eggesford Hunt, who shocked wildlife defenders last year when they began 2025 by killing a fox and a deer at two separate meets. Cheshire’s Wynnstay Hunt - another group that has been hiring thugs to attack sabs and monitors - was observed killing the highest number of foxes last ‘season’. They were caught in the act 11 times, according to Protect the Wild’s figures. These six hunts stand out when you look at the number of foxes that sabs and monitors have observed being chased and killed over the past three years, coupled with reports of violence toward wildlife defenders and other members of the public. However, there are sadly plenty more who are worthy of mention for other reasons. The figures speak for themselves really. We thought they might be a handy guide for those of us who aren’t up for waiting for parliament to finally act and tighten the loopholes to allow this barbaric bloodsport to continue. Hunt saboteurs and wildlife monitors are the frontline defence for our wildlife. If you’re not already in touch with your local group, why not make 2026 the year to get involved. Check out the Hunt Saboteurs Association’s list of local sab groups. Cottesmore terriermen caught red-handed on a dig-out Despite the British Hound Sports Associations’ (BHSA) December 2025 ruling that ‘terrierwork’ should be separated from supposed ‘trail-hunting’, the Cottesmore Hunt has been carrying on business as usual regardless. Terriermen flee from a dig out, after being caught red-handed by Northants Hunt Sabs - photo courtesy of NHS. During the Hunting Office’s leaked Zoom webinars held in 2020, Mark Hankinson (then Director of the Masters of Foxhounds Association) described terriermen as the “soft underbelly“ of so-called ‘trail hunting’. Hankinson used the phrase because it is impossible to justify the presence of terriermen - whose traditional role is to ‘dig out’ foxes - during a ‘trail hunt’. The BHSA made their ruling at the end of last year, in a move that smacked of desperation. Their decision came as the government was renewing its promises to hold a consultation on a ban on ‘trail hunting’ and in the wake of the arrests of members of several hunts, following the filming of a dig out at a meet organised by the Coniston Foxhounds. Cottesmore terriermen flee On 20 January, Northants Hunt Saboteurs (NHS) caught the Cottesmore Hunt’s balaclava-clad terriermen busy trying to dig a fox from a badger sett. NHS described the reaction of the terriermen: “Hunt terrier-men, so desperate not to be identified fled the scene leaving their poor bloodied terrier behind. The terrified abandoned terrier eventually ran away.” This bloodied terrier was abandoned at the scene - picture courtesy of NHS. NHS wrote on their Facebook page: “Hunting cannot regulate itself, in our recommendations for the amended Hunting Act we are calling on the government to bring an end to all current exemptions.” Terriermen were a regular feature of hunt meets during February 2026, despite the BHSA’s supposed ban in late 2025. Check out the HSA’s recent report, What Terrier Man Ban? At Protect the Wild we also oppose the cruelty of ‘terrierwork’. Please check out our campaign to end ‘terrierwork’ here. Sign our petition calling for a proper ban on hunting, and check out our proposal for a workable ban on the hunting of mammals with hounds. And here’s another reminder to donate to support the awesome Northants Hunt Saboteurs if you can. Foxhound killed on the road in Teeside In the last month several hounds have been lost, injured or killed on the roads, showing once again that hunts couldn’t care less about them. Zetland Hunt Hound killed on road - Via TABS On 28 January, Teeside-Anti Bloodsports (TABS) reported that a hound belonging to the Zetland Hunt had tragically been killed on the High Coniscliffe-Piercebridge Road. On top of that, Northants Hunt Sabs videoed a hunting dog being hit by a car as the Fitzwilliam Hunt’s pack pursued a fox across a road on 31 January. Hound abandoned by the hunt Wildlife photographer Richard Bowler was surprised to find a lost foxhound on his property on 01 February in North Wales. Despite shouting “Does anyone want their hound back” repeatedly, he couldn’t find the hunt. It seemed clear that they weren’t looking for the lost hound. Eventually, Bowler was able to return the dog to people who knew the local hunt. The reports of killed, injured and lost hounds are all too common. Hunts treat dogs as tools, not like the sentient beings they are. Bowler wrote angrily on Facebook: “This is another reason why hunting with dogs needs to be banned, I’ve lost count of the days I had to protect our property from this gun pack. Only last year I had to see a fox to safety being chased by their hounds.” Check out Protect the Wild’s Hunt Havoc website, detailing the road chaos caused on a regular basis by hunts across the UK. Image of Boxing Day Hunt violence via Screenshot/Glen Black. Picture of Toby Flemming via Norfolk/Suffolk Hunt Saboteurs. Image of Kestrel perching on gloved hand via David White/Unsplash. Picture of Zetland Hunt Hound killed on road courtesy of Teeside-Anti Blood Sports. Video of abandoned hound in North Wales from wildlife photographer Richard Bowler’s Facebook. Image of Sam Jones and the slain muntjac deer courtesy of Northants Hunt Saboteurs. Thanks again to all the wildlife defenders who have let us use their footage and pictures. Sabs and monitors often put themselves at significant personal risk to get these images. We appreciate and admire all of the groups and individuals working to end the cruelty of hunting. A guest post by Tom Anderson Journalist for Protect the Wild Subscribe to Tom SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

INTERESTING — LAWYERS FOR ANIMALS

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more This might be the biggest news for animals in years ROB POWNALL MAR 1 READ IN APP For more than a decade, I have dedicated my life to protecting animals. I have stood on the streets at demonstrations. I have lobbied online. I have spoken to camera when cruelty was ignored. I have grown Protect the Wild from a small idea into a team working every day through investigations, journalism, campaigning and public pressure to defend animals in every way possible. And through all of that work, one thing has become painfully clear to me. The missing piece has been consistent legal enforcement. Animal welfare legislation in this country is not perfect. It is not where many of us ultimately want it to be, and organisations like ours will continue working to improve it. But the laws that already exist should, at the very least, be properly applied. Laws only protect animals if they are enforced. Time and again, evidence of potential breaches emerges, particularly in large scale commercial settings, and yet prosecutions remain rare. In 2024, the Animal Law Foundation found that just 2.2 percent of reported violations on farms resulted in prosecution. That figure alone suggests that enforcement is inconsistent. For years, grassroots groups have exposed cruelty and raised awareness. Public concern is clear. In 2025, the RSPCA reported that 71 percent of people in Britain identify as animal lovers, and more than three quarters believe individuals and businesses should be responsible for animal welfare. The evidence exists. The public support exists. What has been less developed, however, is a coordinated and dedicated effort focused specifically on reviewing evidence and, where appropriate, pursuing private prosecutions in cases that extend beyond companion animals, including complex or systemic cases. This is why the launch of Lawyers for Animals matters so much. I am incredibly proud to say that I am a trustee of this new charity (Charity number: 1215659) and have spent the past several months helping to ensure it could be established on strong and responsible foundations. For me, this is the most exciting development in animal protection that I can remember. Lawyers for Animals is a community of barristers and solicitors with a clear and focused purpose: to support the proper enforcement of existing animal protection laws in England and Wales, including private prosecutions where appropriate. Support Lawyers for Animals This work is not about campaigning or advancing a political objective. It is about the rule of law. Any decision to pursue a private prosecution will be based strictly on the evidential test and the public interest test that underpin criminal proceedings. Cases will be assessed carefully, independently and in line with established legal standards. Image from Lawyers for Animals’ website Lawyers for Animals is currently reviewing evidence from more than 100 investigations across England, examining potential breaches of animal protection law. Where the legal threshold is met, and where it is considered to be in the public interest, private prosecutions may be pursued. In just five months, more than twenty barristers and solicitors have come together to build a coordinated legal initiative dedicated to this work. This has been achieved on less than £10,000, demonstrating both the commitment within the legal community and the potential for this to grow. For me personally, knowing that there is now organised legal expertise focused specifically on enforcement gives me renewed energy. It brings a sense that evidence does not have to end with exposure. It can be assessed, tested and, where justified, brought before a court. If you share that sense that proper enforcement matters, I encourage you to support Lawyers for Animals by subscribing to their Substack. It costs nothing. It builds the community around this work. And it helps ensure that the laws already on the statute book are treated as more than words on paper. Animals already have legal protection. Now there is a dedicated community of lawyers working to ensure it is applied. Support Lawyers for Animals Disclaimer: This article is written in my personal capacity as founder of Protect the Wild. While I am a trustee of Lawyers for Animals, the views expressed here are my own and do not constitute formal statements on behalf of the charity. SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

FROM PROTECT THE WILD — OBSERVATIONS BY HUNT SABS ON STAG HUNTING THEM TO DEATH

View this email in your browser Hi, Supporter Devon & Somerset Staghounds: Researching Deer To Death Graphic Content Throughout As we reported two weeks ago, members of a covert HSA intelligence unit attended a number of West Country staghound meets in Autumn 2025. Last week we exposed the Tiverton Staghounds; today we focus on the Devon & Somerset, who were infiltrated back in September 2025. Stag killed by the Devon & Somerset Staghounds on 2nd September 2025. Like the two other stag hunts, the Devon & Somerset routinely switch between different loopholes as required, but they chiefly rely on the ‘Research and Observation’ exemption of the Hunting Act. This states that two dogs can be used if: “the hunting is undertaken for the purpose of or in connection with the observation or study of the wild mammal.” In a competitive field, this is surely the most outrageous claim of any hunt in the country. The stomach-churning spectacle of the Devon & Somerset Staghounds pursuing stags with relays of two hounds, together with a gang of screaming thugs on quad bikes, is about as far from scientific research as it is possible to get. Indeed, in the two decades the pack has been exploiting this exemption only one – yes, one – piece of supposedly scientific ‘research’ has been produced. Stag ‘researched’ to death by the Devon & Somerset Staghounds. An operative from the covert unit attended the Simonsbath meet on 30th August 2025 to witness the brutal hunting and killing of a fine Exmoor stag. Supporters were keen to point out that this very animal had been hunted to exhaustion just a few days before by the Tiverton Staghounds. No doubt broken by that earlier pursuit, the stag was easy prey for the Devon & Somerset Staghounds. A week later, other members of the unit were back at the Devon & Somerset to witness another healthy, mature stag be hunted to exhaustion and killed. This animal should have been entering the rut - leading a herd, passing on strong genetics, and playing his role in a stable ecosystem. Instead, he was run for ‘sport’, surrounded, and killed so the hunt could celebrate another killing in what one supporter called their “best season ever.” Hounds feast on the stag’s entrails, 23rd September 2025. As at the Tiverton, our operatives witnessed the ritual butchering of dead stags, with the huntsman ripping open the abdomen so the hounds could gorge on the intestines. Once again, this investigation revealed how determined, extremist stag hunters are constantly adapting to evade accountability or charges: a ban on ‘trail hunting’ – though urgently needed – will not be enough in itself to stop these hardened hunters in their tracks. Only our comprehensive set of proposals – based on over sixty years of sabotaging all types of bloodsports - will really end hunting with hounds. 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

FROM PLANTLIFE — THEY SAY IT IS WORLD WILDLIFE DAY

World Wildlife Day 2026 View this email in your browser Donate Join Shop Hi John, Did you know that today is World Wildlife Day? And this year - plants are in the spotlight! In many dictionaries wildlife is defined as animals that are not domesticated - and plants and fungi are almost always left out. But this year, World Wildlife Day is shining a light on the critical role that plants play with the theme of 'Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods'. We know that life on Earth depends on its extraordinary diversity of plants and fungi - they underpin the health of our environment. They can help us to resolve the climate, ecological and societal challenges which we face. It's clear to see that we all rely so heavily on plants and fungi, perhaps sometimes without realising it. So, we're sure you'll agree that learning more about them is very important. From habitats, to the threats they face and fun facts to folklore, follow the link below to discover more about the species you might spot. Explore Plants and Fungi From providing food, life-saving medicines, financial security and shaping our history – plants and fungi are at the heart of our communities around the world. Here are just some of the ways that plants are vital to our way of life: 60,000 plant species are estimated to be used globally for medicinal purposes 25% of all pharmaceuticals come from plants 1 in 5 people rely on wild plants, algae and fungi for their food and income Medicinal and aromatic plants are humanities oldest healthcare system Conserving medicinal and aromatic plants helps preserve traditional knowledge Find Fascinating Facts About Plants and Fungi We hope that you will join us today - and everyday - in celebrating our incredible fauna, flora and funga! Happy World Wildlife Day. Thank you. Charley Adams, Plantlife Nature Editor Follow Plantlife on: Instagram Instagram Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter 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.

FROM PROTECT THE WILD & THE DECISION REGARDING PROTEST BLOCKED BY THE HOUSE OF LORDS

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Judicial Review Launched Over Public Order Act Amendment ROB POWNALL MAR 3 READ IN APP On 4 February, the House of Lords voted not to block the Government’s changes to the Public Order Act, expanding the definition of “key national infrastructure” to include animal testing facilities. That vote came after months of campaigning by Camp Beagle, Animal Aid, Naturewatch Foundation, Protect the Wild, and others. Tens of thousands of emails were sent to MPs and peers. People travelled to Westminster. Legal concerns were raised repeatedly and placed firmly on the record. Despite strong opposition, the regulations were approved. It was a setback. But it was not the end. Lawyers for Animals, alongside co-claimant Maria Iriart from Camp Beagle, are now pursuing a judicial review challenging the decision to classify the life sciences sector, including animal testing facilities, as key national infrastructure A judicial review allows the High Court to examine whether the Government acted lawfully in introducing these regulations. It looks at whether ministers remained within their legal powers, whether proper reasoning and evidence were provided, and whether fundamental rights such as the right to protest have been unlawfully restricted. If the court finds the regulations are unlawful, they can be quashed. The claim argues that extending these powers goes beyond what Parliament intended under the 2023 Act. Maria Iriart, bringing this case as co-claimant alongside Lawyers for Animals, has spoken about the uncertainty these new powers create: “I have dedicated a significant part of my life to peacefully protesting against the use of animals in regulatory tests. The fact that I do not know what kind of behaviour will now constitute ‘interference’ makes the prospect of continuing to protest quite scary… I have no idea if holding up a placard, using a loudspeaker, making the wrong kind of gesture, wearing a costume, or even posting on social media, could now be a serious criminal offence.” That uncertainty is exactly why this case matters. We also want to thank Maria for stepping forward as a co-claimant in this challenge. Bringing a case like this as an individual against the Government is not a small decision, and it plays an important role in ensuring these powers are properly tested. Camp Beagle has kept attention on this issue for years. Campaigners across the movement refused to let these regulations pass quietly. Supporters helped fund the this legal challenge. All of that effort has led to this moment. We recently introduced Lawyers for Animals to you and explained why their work is so important. This judicial review is a clear example of that work in action. When Government power expands, it must be examined through the courts. That is how accountability functions in practice. If you want to stay in the loop, understand how the judicial review unfolds, and read developments as they happen, subscribe for free to Lawyers for Animals on Substack. They will be sharing updates as the case progresses. And we’d urge you to follow Camp Beagle on Instagram and support their tireless campaigning. We will continue to update you at key stages as well. The parliamentary debate may be over. The legal challenge has begun. SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing