LACS_Protect_no14_0516_PRESS_Layout 1

Summer 2016
Hidden
Danger
Snares:
the landmines of
the countryside.
Pages 03-05
Working to expose and end cruel sports.
No.14
Welcome
Contents
Thank you for the warm welcome since I started as the
League’s CEO in January. I’ve spoken with many members
and others not previously connected to the League, and it is
clear that support for our work is growing. The latest polls
show record support for the Hunting Act, including among
Conservative voters and people in the countryside.
Regulars
05
Opinion – Caroline Gould shares a
rehabilitator’s view on snares
07-09 League In Action
13
Campaigns View – Tom Quinn
16
Undercover
18-19 You're Helping - all the ways you've been
supporting us!
The League was instrumental in bringing about the Act,
and is in the front line to defend it from the tiny minority
who want to take us back to the Dark Ages. Our Investigators
are out there every day exposing those who are flouting the
law. We are working hard to strengthen it and ensure that
perpetrators of animal cruelty are brought to justice. And
our sanctuaries provide a safe haven for persecuted wildlife.
We were delighted that the Northern Ireland Executive
recently agreed tough new sentences for animal cruelty
offences including dog fighting. The scourge of dog fighting
must be stamped out. There is no greater betrayal of our
most faithful companions, and no greater terror than the
theft of pet cats and dogs used as bait.
The League is preparing to launch a major new offensive
against the horror of snares. A wild or domestic animal is
caught in a snare every 20 seconds in Britain. We are one of
just five countries in Europe where this barbaric contraption
remains legal. They are in widespread use because of the
massive canned bird-shooting industry – ironically to ‘protect’
birds from foxes, so they can then be shot by people.
Yet Government studies show that just one quarter of the
animals caught are foxes. Government studies suggest that
around 400,000 badgers are caught every year, and the
number of hares caught could be so great that populations
in some regions are crashing.
And an incredible quarter of million ‘other’ animals are caught
every year – including cats, dogs, otters and young deer.
These evil devices must be banned immediately. There is
growing support among politicians in Northern Ireland and
Wales for our campaign, and policy is being reviewed in
Scotland. Our campaign is building in England. With your help,
I am confident we can eradicate these terrible instruments
of torture and death – and win another victory for animals.
Eduardo Gonçalves
Editor: Nick Weston
Editorial Board:
Chris Pitt
Tom Quinn
Philippa Peck
Mark Randell
Features
03-05 Tightening the noose on snares
06
Interview: Conservationist Mark Avery
on Driven Grouse Shooting
10-11
Pull out poster for you to keep
12
The Disappearing Fox
14
An icon of British Wildlife
15
Victims of Hunting
16
Music to our ears: we team up with
Wickham Festival
www.league.org.uk
03
Tightening the noose on snaring
Imagine the world
through the eyes of
a fox. Patrolling your
territory in the British
Countryside, you
smell what you hope
might be your next
meal. As you head
towards the enticing
scent suddenly you
feel the grip of a metal
trap around your leg ....
You are caught in a deadly snare.
But it's not just foxes that fall victim, snares
are an epidemic that affect animals across
England and Wales. In fact, little more than
a quarter of all animals caught in snares
are foxes.
A third of animals caught are hares, and
another quarter are badgers.
One animal is snared every 20 seconds in
England and Wales. Every twenty seconds.
From the time it's taken you to reach this
paragraph another animal has been
snared. But how is this possible? Surely
such archaic devices have been banned in
21st Century Britain?
Sadly this is not the case, with the UK
being one of only five countries across the
European Union where free-running snares
are still legal. It is shocking to think that a
country that prides itself on being a world
leader is so far behind in such a blatant
disregard for animal welfare.
But what is more shocking is the reason for
which snares are laid. The majority of these
wire traps have been set by gamekeepers.
It is a perverse irony that these instruments
of death are set to ‘protect’ game birds that
are being kept and reared solely for the
purposes of being shot and ultimately
killed for sport and profit.
It is shocking to think
that a country that prides
itself on being a world
leader is so far behind in
such a blatant disregard
for animal welfare.
Of course, the fox doesn't know this. All it
knows is that it's trapped. And in another
horrible irony, its struggle to escape only
tightens the noose. As the noose tightens,
the struggling increases in a vicious cycle
of pain, suffering and panic.
The situation is looking pretty bleak. Our
fox has two hopes for survival; it somehow
manages to break free or it is discovered
by a passer-by. Neither of these are ideal
options. Although the legally-set freerunning snare in which his leg is trapped is
designed to relax when the animal stops
pulling, they can easily become self-locking
snares when kinked or rusty. Self-locking
snares are intended to kill captured
animals, and are banned across all of
the UK.
If the fox survives the trauma to be found
alive by the gamekeeper, it will then be
shot and killed. That is, if the gamekeeper
returns to check on the snare. In 2005
Defra published a voluntary Code of Best
Practice on the Use of Snares, but in 2012
found that although 95% of gamekeepers
surveyed were aware of the Code of
Practice, not a single snare operator visited
was fully compliant with it. This means
instead of a clean death animals are being
left to die in fear and agony from wounds
such as laceration or dismemberment.
Continued on next page
Summer 2016
04
Tightening the noose on snaring continued
Breaches of the code do not stop there.
Last year, a League investigation captured
graphic footage of a large death pit – a
purposely dug hole filled with carcasses
of dead livestock and wildlife – designed
to lure foxes into snares lining the edge.
This deliberate and heinous act is a clear
violation of the Code of Practice, yet the
snare operator stated that he would catch
between 50 and 100 foxes per year.
It is not just wild animals, however.
Reports in the media and directly to the
League have illustrated that snares are also
a threat to domestic pets, with stories of
beloved family companions being found
injured, and in some cases, having to have
limbs amputated.
Snaring report
In February, the League launched a new report ‘Snares: Time
for a Ban’ at Parliament. Celebrities, vets and many groups
including the RSPCA, Cats Protection, OneKind and Born
Free have joined our call for a ban on snares. The event was
sponsored by Sir Roger Gale MP and well attended by many
supportive MPs.
The event also saw the launch of our new shooting report
‘The Case Against Shooting’ and the premier of a new
campaign video. You can view ‘Britain’s Canned Hunting
Industry’ at www.league.org.uk/shooting
1
2
Unfortunately, these incidents are not so
heavily reported when it comes to wild
animals – with 1.7 million animals being
snared every year in the UK – what hope is
there for foxes?
But hope is not lost.
The League is campaigning not only for a
complete ban on the use of wire snares,
but of their manufacture as well. Through
online action, our amazing supporters have
sent over 10,000 emails to MPs raising the
profile of the issue and directly prompting
calls for a ban in Parliament. 68% of MPs
would support a ban on snares and 77% of
the British population agree with them.
Snares are the landmines of the countryside.
Every 20 seconds an animal is caught in a
snare. But your actions do make a difference
and with your help we can ban these
barbaric and archaic devices for good.
© Vale Wildlife Rescue
© Vale Wildlife Rescue
3
4
© Vale Wildlife Rescue
1. Snares are commonly laid on the
borders of shooting estates ...
2. ... these well concealed nooses are
barely visible to passing wildlife ...
3. ... until it is too late. Suffering is
caused to non-target animals, like
this badger ...
4. ... and those that are targeted, like
this fox, suffer just as greatly.
© Vale Wildlife Rescue
www.league.org.uk
05
OPINION PIECE
A victim of snaring
Snares – A rehabilitator’s view
Ask anyone working in wildlife rehabilitation
in the UK and I can guarantee that they
will all have the same opinion on snares –
that they are barbaric, cruel and
indiscriminate. I have been working in
rehab for over 30 years, dealing with
thousands of sick and injured wild
animals every year and by far the most
horrendous injuries that I have had to deal
with have been those inflicted by snares.
Two-year-old Tabitha had been missing
for nearly two days when she limped
to her owner’s home in Sussex with
appalling injuries to her rear leg.
Her injuries were so severe that vets
had no option but to amputate her leg
which had become badly infected.
Tabitha had managed to escape her fate,
but her injuries were consistent with
having been caught in a snare. She is
just one example of how domestic pets
get caught in snares, but with 200
animals affected every hour, she should
be considered one of the lucky ones.
She is now in the care of Cats Protection.
The use of the majority of animal traps
has been illegal for many years (1904 – the
use of traps set in an elevated position for
birds, 1958 – leg hold traps with steel jaws)
because they were considered an inhumane
way of trapping or controlling animals.
We have dozens of graphic photographs
of badgers and foxes (and even an otter)
that have been admitted to Vale Wildlife
Hospital after being found caught in
snares that, at present, are mostly
perfectly legal, although there are still
many illegal, self-locking snares in use
too. A device that causes such horrendous
suffering cannot possibly be deemed to
be humane.
Those that use snares will argue that they
are humane as they are ‘free-running’
which will loosen off when the animal stops
struggling. The fact that any wild animal
(or domestic animal come to that) that is
caught up in anything will constantly
struggle to free itself seems to have
escaped those deciding on whether
Caroline Gould is a vet and
the founder of Vale Wildlife
Hospital and Rehabilitation
Centre in Gloucestershire
snares are humane or not. An animal will
not sit quietly once it realises it is caught,
waiting patiently for someone to come
along and free (or despatch) it. It will pull
and writhe in panic and fear even when the
snare cuts into the flesh on its neck (or leg,
chest, abdomen area, all common places for
snares to trap an animal) and it will continue
to do so until exhaustion takes over.
I defy any person to look through our library
of gruesome snaring injuries and to then
agree with those that say they are humane
and necessary for animal control.
'Indiscriminate and
cruel' animal rights
campaigners SLAM
snare traps after
cat loses leg.
TAKE ACTION!
at www.league.org.uk/snaring
And if you don’t have access to the
internet please write to your MP and
ask them to support a ban on snares
using some of the information above.
You can write to them at House of
Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
© Vale Wildlife Rescue
Summer 2016
06
INTERVIEW
Defending Britain’s wildlife
For thirteen years, Mark Avery was the Conservation Director
of the RSPB. He is a well-known and highly respected blogger,
public speaker and writer on UK nature conservation and
environmental issues. We catch up with him following the
launch of a joint petition to ban driven grouse shooting ….
Tell us about yourself
I used to be an evolutionary biologist
studying bats and birds, their behaviour
and ecology. In 1986 I joined the RSPB as a
scientist and left after 25 years, the last 13 of
which were spent as Conservation Director.
Now I write – blogs, books and articles – and
cause trouble. And I'm a birdwatcher too.
Do you have a favourite bird?
All birds are great! All nature is wonderful.
But the Hen Harrier and the Roseate Tern
are equal favourites. Both are graceful,
beautiful and, in different ways, powerful:
but both face problems caused by
our species.
And then there is the impact of illegal
persecution of – the Hen Harrier. There
should be 2600 pairs of Hen Harrier in the
UK uplands - but there are only c650 pairs.
And 300+ of those pairs should be in
England – whereas we have barely a dozen
pairs. The deficit is due to wildlife crime: Hen
Harriers are killed because, among other
things, they eat Red Grouse (but they don't
pay thousands of pounds for the privilege,
so they don't count for some). Our hills are
wildlife crime scenes. Golden Eagles and
Peregrine Falcons, like Hen Harriers,
completely protected in theory, are in
practice wiped out on grouse moors.
That makes me quite angry. Wildlife needs
a voice – and we have to be that voice.
Apart from the senseless slaughter of
Red Grouse for fun there is the ecological
damage that grouse moor management
does. All that burning and drainage leads to
increased greenhouse gases, lower water
quality, increased flood risk and less aquatic
life in streams. Remember the disastrous
floods over Christmas? Much of that water
will have come off moors managed for
grouse shooting – and that management
increased the rate of run-off, and made the
floods worse for thousands of people. That's
what is likely to have happened. Grouse
moor management puts up people's home
insurance costs and their water bills.
And grouse moors are such industrial,
artificial environments. Nowhere else in the
world allows this type of mismanagement –
nowhere! And a lot of it is happening in
National Parks, for heaven's sake! Why
should our National Parks, such as the
North Yorkshire Moors and Yorkshire Dales,
be dominated by intensive management
that harms the ecology and is all for a rich
person's hobby of shooting birds?
I'm calling on other organisations such as
the National Trust, Wildlife Trusts and the
RSPB to mobilise their large memberships
to press politicians for action on a range of
issues, including this one. You don't change
the world by keeping quiet – that's not how
women got the vote, how slavery was
abolished, or how people across the world
got their freedom from oppression. And
wild creatures depend on us to speak up
for them.
How can our supporters take action?
How is the campaign going so far?
Why is it so important to ban driven
grouse shooting?
What more do you think wildlife and
conservation charities could and should
be doing to support the campaign?
We are making progress with the public,
the media and with politicians. The more
we talk about what is happening, the more
people get angry and fired up to make
a difference.
Sign this e-petition and then get your
friends, relatives and workmates to do it
too. Get on social media and speak out.
We are more powerful together – and we
live in a democracy.
http://bit.ly/GrousePetition2016
This sounds like a fascinating subject,
how do I learn more?
Read my book on why we should ban
grouse shooting, Inglorious – conflict in the
uplands, and keep an eye on my daily blog
at www.markavery.info/blog
What’s next for you?
I want to write more books - and they'll all
be about wildlife, how we relate to it and
what we should do to create a better future
for people and wildlife.
You can follow Mark on Twitter
@MarkAvery
and read his blog at
markavery.info/blog/
www.league.org.uk
07
League in action
National Trust?
The Race to Help Greyhounds
The National Trust made what
initially looked like a significant
step forward regarding the
controversial licencing of hunts
on their land this year by banning
the Minehead Harriers from its
Holnicote Estate in January.
Bookmakers must contribute more to protecting racing dogs and should
not prioritise profit over high welfare standards. This was the finding
of a new report published by the EFRA Committee in February.
This followed repeated complaints that the
hunt was carrying out illegal hunting.
However, the League was disappointed that
the National Trust later gave in to the hunt
and lifted the suspension in March.
Given the Minehead Harriers’ past convictions
for illegal hunting and their arrogant and
persistent abuse of the National Trust’s good
will and its faithful members, we seriously
question whether this hunt’s hastily drafted
new code of conduct is worth the paper it’s
written on.
The League was heavily involved in this
process, calling for supporters to submit to
the committee’s public consultation. Last year
Dr Toni Shepherd, our then Head of Policy, was
invited to speak in front of the EFRA Committee,
presenting the case against the current system
of Greyhound industry regulation.
Following the publication of the report, we said:
“We commend the Committee for their attention
given to this important issue, but does the report
go far enough? We remain convinced that given
the industry's abysmal track record, only
independent regulation will ensure greyhound
welfare is protected.”
Betting industry
condemned
over greyhound
deaths
Foxycology
In February the League held its
roving Foxycology event at the
University of Exeter.
With a packed hall the speakers provided
four very well received lectures on the facts
and fiction about foxes. League CEO Eduardo
Gonçalves started the event followed by local
farmer Graham Cooper, a staunch opponent
of fox hunting and any animal cruelty.
He was followed by Jess Groling, a PhD
student specialising in the portrayal of
foxes in the media. Finally, Bill Oddie ended
the session with a combination of amusing
anecdotes and hard truths.
Thanks to all the speakers, the Exeter
University Animal Welfare Society, and EUAWS
President Louise Treneman in particular.
© lamkarna
Fighting for Bulls in India
The League has led animal welfare groups in signing an open letter to
India’s Ambassador to the EU, to strongly express our concerns at the
Indian Government’s attempts to overrule a Supreme Court decision
to ban Jallikattu.
Jallikattu involves releasing bulls to be chased and subdued by participants. Before they
are released from the pen, they are purposefully harassed by forced alcohol consumption,
having chili peppers rubbed in their eyes, and being stabbed with sticks and knives.
The coalition says that the use of bulls in Jallikattu is a contravention of India’s Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960. The open letter makes it clear to the Indian government that
in Europe we fully support the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations’ position –
cruelty towards bulls cannot be allowed to return through the cruel ‘sport’ of Jallikattu.
Summer 2016
08
League in action
Northern Ireland
strengthens animal
abuse sentencing
Northern Ireland is now leading
the way on penalties for animal
cruelty, following on from a review
by the Department for Justice into
unduly lenient sentencing.
The League was able to feed into the review –
our main recommendation being that much
tougher penalties were needed to deter dog
and other animal fighting. In response to this
the Assembly has now significantly increased
the sentences for those found guilty from 2 to
5 years, and from £5,000 to £20,000 fines.
This covers such cruelty as dog fighting.
It is now up to the rest of the UK to catch up
with Northern Ireland on sentencing.
18th February saw the 11th Anniversary of the Hunting Act coming
into force. To mark this occasion the League published an open
letter from Eduardo Gonçalves to David Cameron, asking him to
follow the lead of Northern Ireland by introducing tougher penalties
for dog-fighting and illegal hunting.
“It’s time for us to come down like a ton of bricks on organised animal violence like
dog-fighting and hunting with dogs. Whether you set one dog on another dog, or a dog
onto a fox, it’s the same inherent cruelty and we need sentencing that reflects that,”
wrote Eduardo.
Support for Hunting Ban more popular than ever
In 2015, polling carried out by Ipsos MORI showed that 83% of the
population do not want to see a return to legal fox hunting.
This is a jump up from the 80% in 2014. Support was even stronger for the ban on Deer
Hunting and Hare Coursing, with 85% and 87% wanting the sports to remain illegal,
respectively.
Internet of Things
Can technology be used to support
successful prosecutions of hunting?
What innovation could increase
detection of those involved in
dog fights?
In January the Internet of Things Animal
Challenge was launched to find out just
that. Working in partnership with IFAW
and Connect TVT, the League sought
imaginative and innovative inventions that
can use the latest in technology and digital
connectivity to tackle cruelty, abuse and
exploitation of animals.
www.league.org.uk/internetofthings
It is encouraging to see a growth in supporters of the Hunting Act amongst Conservative
voters, reaching 70% opposed to fox hunting in 2015, up from 64% in 2013. This is reflected
in the voting intentions of Tory MPs. At least 50 Conservative MPs have publically stated
that they will oppose a repeal of the ban on hunting, with a further 20 saying so in private.
Our polling also shows that 84% of the rural population do not wish for hunting with dogs
to become legal again. For the first time on record, support is now stronger in rural areas
than urban.
Pushing for a ban on Welsh snares
The League continues to challenge the use of snares in Wales to
ensure greater awareness of the new Code of Practice on snaring,
given that the previous Code was found by the Defra report to be
unknown by many snare operators.
The League maintains however that the Code is wholly insufficient and continues to call
for a ban, including through our manifesto for May’s Assembly Elections. On March 15th
the League launched its manifesto for May’s Welsh Assembly elections in Cardiff and
welcomed Assembly Members, candidates and other stakeholders to the event.
www.league.org.uk
09
Scottish Hunt staff charged with illegal hunting
Police in the Scottish Borders have arrested and charged two men from
the Jed Forest Hunt with illegal hunting after viewing shocking new
video footage filmed by the League Against Cruel Sports Scotland.
The video shows hounds apparently being urged on by hunt members to chase foxes,
hunts seemingly pretending to flush to guns with no guns in use and hounds following
scent in the open with no guns.
The footage was potentially so incriminating that the most blatant incidents were handed
over to the police, resulting in the Jed Forest hunt staff being charged on the 22nd March
with illegal hunting. Watch the video at www.league.org.uk/videos
News in Brief
• The League Scotland welcomes the
move by the Scottish government to
toughen penalties for those who commit
wildlife crime. The Scottish public are
rightly concerned that wildlife continues
to be unscrupulously targeted and the
Government is right to send out the
message that perpetrators will face
serious sanctions.
• Tom Quinn, Director of Campaigns,
was on Sky News in February talking
about the cruelty of hare coursing and
the importance of greater enforcement
of the Hunting Act
Video
shows
hunt law
breached
League footage led to the
Jed Forest hunt being charged
with illegal hunting.
Review of Hunting
in Scotland
Making friends in
Northern Ireland
League Scotland is currently
lobbying the Scottish Parliament
in Holyrood as it conducts a
review of the Protection of Wild
Mammals Act.
Eduardo made his first visit to
Northern Ireland in February as
League CEO to meet with key
MLAs to discuss snaring, hunting,
and shooting.
Triggered by the League’s hard-hitting
exposé into the flaws of Scottish hunting
legislation, we hope that this review will
lead to the strengthening of the laws that
cover hunting with dogs in Scotland,
which have long been regarded as weak
compared to the English and Welsh
Hunting Act.
During a very productive meeting with the
Minister for the Environment, Mark H. Durkan,
made clear that he understood the cruelty
involved in snaring, and was considering a ban.
Since our original exposé we have uncovered
yet more shocking evidence that we hope
will finally persuade MSPs to act to ban
hunting once and for all in Scotland.
Eduardo and our Northern Ireland Senior
Public Affairs Officer Janice Watt also met
with Chris Lyttle, Alliance MLA for East
Belfast, and Steven Agnew, the leader of
the Green Party. Both were extremely
supportive of our cause. With cross Party
support we are confident that there will
be movement on snaring in the very
near future.
• 20,000 trophy hunters made their
way to the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las
Vegas this February to take part in
‘pay to slay’ auctions. This is as gruesome
as it sounds, with the Safari Club
International members vying to take
part in 301 hunts across 32 countries.
• Black, White and Red All Over.
The University of York Conservative and
Unionist Association decided to hold a
‘Badger Culling Social’, which involved
heading out for a night on the town
dressed as either a badger or a shooter.
“This is probably meant to be a harmless
joke,” said Director of Campaigns Tom
Quinn, “but it’s not very funny. Perhaps
they should do a bit of studying on
bovine TB before making light of such a
national scandal.”
• Remembering the fallen as the
death toll rises. Horse racing has
continued its legacy of death in 2016,
with seven horses dying at Cheltenham
Festival and a further five at the Grand
National event (up from six and two in
2015, respectively). The League continues
to call for much needed improvements
at Aintree racecourse.
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A young roe deer enjoys the
freedoms the League sanctuary
provides, as the rest of the herd
looks on.
© Ed Shepherd
Summer 2016
12
The Disappearing Fox
Stop if you’ve heard this one before…
It could have been a very sad Christmas
for one little fox. In December 2015 our
investigations team received a tip-off
that a fox was being kept in an unused
brick building on the land of the
Buckminster Estate on the Leicestershire/
Lincolnshire border.
Do you recall the story of the 16 fox cubs
rescued by the League in May last year
that were being kept in a barn close to hunt
kennels? We certainly hadn’t forgotten,
and something about this tip-off seemed
suspiciously familiar.
Our suspicions were compounded by the
fact that the Belvoir Hunt, which meets
within a mile of the building, were due to
hold a hunt later that month. But the
hunting of foxes with dogs is illegal, and
the defenders of fox hunting often cite the
false argument of ‘fox control’, so surely
there could be no relationship between this
captive fox and the local hunt…
Traditionally, captured foxes have been
kept by hunts in artificial earths as a means
of guaranteeing a kill. If the kill of a fox has
not been possible by ‘natural’ means, then
terriermen will be instructed to flush the
captive foxes from the artificial earth into
the path of the coming hunt.
Our Investigations team were dispatched
to find out what was going on. Inside the
building our team found very little
amongst the bare floorboards and rotten,
mouldy partridge carcases, but what they
did find was a lone, dehydrated and very
frightened fox. But there must have been
more to this than the little that met the
eye, so upon filming our evidence and
informing the police the Investigators
took a step back to see how the situation
would play out.
Sure enough, the day before
the Belvoir Hunt was due to
meet, a man arrived to check
on the fox. That was all we
needed. It was clear then that
the poor creature had not
arrived in this predicament by
chance. We advised the local police
and then we moved in. We safely
rescued the fox and took it to a wildlife
hospital, where apart from dehydration
she was found not to be too poorly.
The next day the man returned to the
building carrying a sack and net
on a pole. However, thanks to our
intervention, he may have been a
little over prepared! Suffice to
say he spent a good few
minutes looking rather confused!
It is disconcerting that these
barbaric practices continue to
plague the British countryside.
In 12 months the League has
rescued 17 foxes who we
believe were destined to
be cast in front of the hunt.
However, each of these
stories has created a
significant stir in the
public consciousness,
and with the ongoing help
of our supporters we can
continue to reveal the truth
behind the tradition.
Watch the video
‘The Disappearing Fox’
to see full footage of this
fox’s rescue by the League
at www.league.org.uk/
buckminsterfox
The fox was rescued by the
League and released into a place
of safety. But the story doesn't
end there... (see page 15)
© Brett Terry
www.league.org.uk
13
SANCTUARY NEWS
Sleep Safely: Our sanctuary among the shoots
Exmoor is well known
for being a hunting and
shooting hot-spot. But
down in the south-east
corner is something
you would not expect:
an oasis in the heart of
the West Country.
Baronsdown.
Although it is perhaps not the most
famous facet of our work, the League
runs many sanctuaries and currently
owns the hunting rights to 3,000 acres
of land in and around Exmoor. These
sanctuaries are vital in the fight to
protect England’s wildlife from the
persecution it faces from hunters and
gamekeepers. Of these, Baronsdown is
the jewel in the crown.
If you were to look at Baronsdown on a
map, its importance becomes immediately
apparent. To the north is a shooting estate,
another to the east, a third to the south and
yet another to the west. On all points of the
compass this sanctuary is surrounded by
shooting estates. These enterprises market
death at thousands of pounds a day, so our
land at the heart of it all is a vital haven.
This is a fact that Paul Tillsley, the League’s
Sanctuaries Manager is very proud of. “It is
vital for the local wildlife, otherwise it doesn’t
stand a chance out there. Gamekeepers
don’t tolerate anything that gets in the way
of their pheasant shooting; be it deer, foxes,
badgers, otters, whatever, they really don’t
tolerate it. And so this is the one safe place
that they’ve got in this area, which is why
we get such a variety of wildlife here;
they really have nowhere else to go.”
And what a variety it is. As well as the
native fox, deer, badger and otter
populations, Baronsdown is regularly
visited by Red, Roe and Fallow Deer,
various Bat species, Weasels, Stoats,
Buzzards, Peregrine Falcons, Sparrowhawks
and dozens of other species of birds.
Not only this, but Baronsdown is also
home to a cornucopia of British butterfly
species, many of which are very rare.
But whilst it’s popular with the local
wildlife, the same can’t be said for the
local shooting estates. Perhaps it is mere
coincidence to find that the ‘private
property’ and ‘keep out’ signs that adorn
the sanctuary’s perimeter have been
littered with holes from a shotgun blast
or two. A message? It’s one we take to heart.
These signs are now kept in our office, a
reminder of the importance of our work
and with your valued support the necessity
of these protected lands.
Summer 2016
14
An icon of British Wildlife
If you were to ask
someone what species
the Hunting Act was
designed to protect,
it’s more than likely
that the majority of
answers would be ‘fox’.
But foxes aren’t the
only animals facing
persecution in the
name of countryside
pursuits – when it
comes to hunting, one
in every three hunts
are looking for hares.
Recent polling suggests that a ban of hare
based activities is stronger than any other
animal protected by the Hunting Act, with
87% of the population in England and
Wales saying ‘No’ to legalising hare hunting
and hare coursing.
But the blood bath doesn’t stop there.
An estimated 300,000 to 400,000 hares
are shot every year, and as the corpses pile
up, so does the cash, with a day’s hare
shoot costing up to £1,000. It’s certainly a
lucrative business, but is there any
justification besides profit?
However, its near universal unpopularity
doesn’t mean that hare hunting doesn’t
carry on. In-fact, footage taken by the
League’s investigation team revealed
that illegal hare hunting may be conducted
at one of the country’s top educational
establishments.
The footage of Eton College carrying out
what the League believes to be illegal hunting
was published by the Daily Mirror newspaper.
Judge for yourself by watching the video at
www.league.org.uk/etonfootage
Recent media coverage has also highlighted
the increase of hare coursing in the east
of England, with a reported resurgence of
arrests in Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and
Lincolnshire. Unlike hunting, the aim of
hare coursing is for two dogs, usually
greyhounds or lurchers, to compete against
each other in pursuit of a live hare. Bets are
placed on which of the two dogs will be the
quickest to ‘turn’ and catch the hare.
“Eton College launches
investigation into claim
its beagling club took
part in illegal hare hunt”
Apparently not, as hare shooting is not the
only industry that the hare falls foul of. Wire
snares are laid by gamekeepers to ‘protect’
birds on shooting estates from predators.
Although set to target foxes, the snares’
indiscriminate design means that two-thirds
of animals caught in them are non-target
species, a category which the brown hare
unfortunately falls into.
In Scotland, the Mountain Hare is facing
serious threat as it is believed by grousemoor managers that they carry a tick which
can kill grouse. This link is in dispute, but
that hasn’t stopped the Mountain Hare
being driven to the brink of extinction.
As if the Mountain Hare’s numbers weren’t
enough to worry about, in the rest of the
UK the Brown Hare’s numbers have
declined by 80% over the last 100 years.
Whilst a lot of this decline can be attributed
to agricultural practices, it is vital that the
remaining population is protected by
legislation such as the Hunting Act and
that those who seek to flout the law in the
name of persecuting hares be held to
account, before it is too late.
© Urospoteko | Dreamstime.com
www.league.org.uk
15
CAMPAIGNS VIEW
Victims of Hunting
This year it hasn’t just been animals that have
fallen victim to the viciousness of the hunt.
In March, two League investigators, Darryl
Cunnington and Roger Swaine, were brutally
and violently assaulted and robbed while
monitoring the Belvoir Hunt in Leicestershire.
Six men were involved in setting upon
Darryl and Roger. They were punched,
kicked and pushed off a 14 foot ledge
before the onslaught continued. Both
were seriously injured, with Darryl
requiring a specialist ambulance to get
him safely to A&E.
While Roger was discharged the next
day, it was later diagnosed that Darryl
had suffered a fracture of a vertebra in
his neck, resulting in the need to wear
a neck-brace.
During the assault the masked assailants
were heard to mention the case of the
disappearing fox (page 12), which was
carried out by the victims last December.
Could this vicious attack have been
in retaliation?
The outpouring of support and sympathy
from our members and supporters
however, has been overwhelming and
highlights the unique solidarity between
charity and supporter that the League
Against Cruel Sports is privileged to enjoy.
“Thank you everybody for your messages
of support and good wishes. We have
messages from people country-wide,
including some saying they are joining
the League as members,” said Darryl,
“Long term, this has hurt them more than
it’s hurt us!”
His bravery in the face of this horrifying
incident has been an inspiration to us all.
Tom Quinn
Director of Campaigns
Respected members of the establishment
riding gloriously through the rolling
countryside. This is the picture the hunting
community paint. Nothing wrong there.
But how does this genteel, civilised activity
fit with the thuggery shown during the
attack? Surely it doesn’t add up?
Unfortunately it’s the thuggery that rings
true. Over the same weekend that our
investigators were attacked, someone
reported that her dog was run over and killed
by hunt vehicles who continued without
stopping. Elsewhere, hunt hounds chased a
fox into a stable yard, killing it and a cat.
Footage also appeared of a tractor ramming
a vehicle containing hunt sabs off the road.
Leicestershire police immediately started
an investigation and a police helicopter
was called in to search for the gang of
men who fled on a quad bike. Two men
were apprehended and arrested. The
investigation is ongoing.
Of course, we have heard no word of
apology or condemnation from either the
Belvoir Hunt or the Countryside Alliance –
in fact, some pro-hunt commentators on
social media have gone so far as to
express a frankly ludicrous theory that
we assaulted our own staff!
Someone
is Going to
Get Killed
© BBC
A week after the attack we were alerted to a
gruesome find: a pregnant vixen had been
killed, cut in half, and her unborn cubs left
beside her. Sickening doesn’t even begin to
describe this. She was found just a few
hundred yards from our investigator’s
home. This was a message – to us, to our
Investigators, and to anyone who dares try
to stop illegal hunting.
This intimidation is not confined to one
part of the country. We recently discovered
‘tracker’ devices on the vehicles of two of
our investigators down in the West Country
– but fortunately we found them before
anyone got hurt. We have alerted the police
who are investigating.
© BBC
This situation needs to stop now. The police
need to come down hard on illegal hunting
and protect those who are lawfully monitoring
hunting. Because otherwise someone is
going to get killed.
Summer 2016
16
UNDERCOVER
Uncovering Britain's Canned Hunting Industry
November 2015 saw our Operations team start a new investigation into
the reality of Britain’s canned hunting industry.
Working closely with their colleagues in
our campaigns team, the investigations
team devised a plan to record the true
picture of a day’s shooting.
This would mean Investigators placing
themselves close to the guns. Although
risky, it would be the only way to show what
occurs on Britain’s shooting estates. The
team attended shoots across the country
that were advertising 200, 300 or 400
bird days – the number of pheasants and
partridges they intended to kill.
And the results were truly shocking. The
birds were forced out of their hiding places
by rows of beaters, driving them towards
the line of guns. The luckier birds flew too
high or too fast and would live to fly another
day. Others were killed outright, adding to
the growing pile of bodies. The unluckiest
were the wounded birds and there were
scores of these at every shoot. There is no
proficiency test for shooters in the UK and it
showed. One shoot even boasted that they
killed “177 pheasants for 1700 shots”.
Wounded birds were left to linger in agony
at the feet of gun-men; washed away in
rivers; or repeatedly and ineffectively beaten
about the head by the pickers-up. There was
no respect for the quarry, no shooting the
odd bird for the pot. The guns simply
blasted away at the birds for fun. Some
even had loaders, an assistant whose only
job was to load new cartridges in the
shooter’s gun so they would have even
more time to kill in the day.
This investigation, combined with our
previous exploration into the import of
day-old pheasants for the shooting industry
and our work on the caged breeding of
partridges in England, has for the first time
shown the true cage to grave story of
birds shot for sport in the UK.
Watch the harrowing footage from this
investigation at www.league.org.uk/shooting
“Shocking footage
reveals the cruel reality
of Britain's £2 billion
game shooting industry”
ANIMAL
CRIMEWATCH
•
January saw a record number
of intelligence reports created
through Crimewatch, and over
150 reports had already been
created by the end of February.
Looks like 2016 is going to be a
busy year.
•
In the first two months of the
year alone, members of the
public provided information
about cruelty to animals in the
name of sport in over 30
counties and reported on
nearly 50 different hunts. Just
over 80% of intelligence related
to wildlife hunting; however
other information concerned
badger abuse, dog fighting,
snaring and other types of
wildlife crime.
•
With the launch of the League’s
Project Bloodline the team are
anticipating an increase in dog
fighting information this year.
TAKE ACTION!
Report any suspicious
activity to our Animal
Crimewatch Line on 01483 361 108
or www.league.org.uk/crimewatch
www.league.org.uk
17
Music to our ears:
We team up with the Wickham Festival!
More than 15,000 people will descend on Wickham, near Fareham in
Hampshire, from Thursday 4th August to Sunday 7th August for the
annual Wickham Festival. The four-day live Music and Arts Festival has
been rated by ‘The Guardian’ as one of its Top 8 Boutique and FamilyFriendly Festivals.
This year we are excited to announce the League will be Wickham
Festival’s charity partner. Now in its seventh year, the four-day event
is attended by campers and day visitors, and features renowned
musicians, this year including The Stranglers, Tony Hadley, Lindisfarne,
The Trevor Horn Band feat. Lol Crème, Chas and Dave, Hayseed Dixie
and many more. For full line up visit www.wickhamfestival.co.uk
The Wickham Festival features live music on three stages, plus a
host of other attractions including the ‘Groovy Movie’ solar-powered
cinema tent; a digital funfair; street theatre; storytelling; puppet
theatre; playbus, laser arena; shanty singers and children’s entertainers.
We are entering a new and exciting
period at the League and we are
looking forward to promoting positive
change for animals at the festival.
At the League, not only do we campaign against
cruelty to animals in the name of sport, but we
provide sanctuary for wildlife. We have thousands
of acres of land where foxes, deer, badgers and
a variety of species of birds live free from
persecution. You can join us in our sanctuary
tent at the Festival, learn more about our work
and enjoy some tranquility.
Dress up Sunday
will focus on Wildlife,
so please come in
your finery and join
in the fun!
As Wickham Festival’s charity
partner we are delighted to be able
to offer discounted tickets for the
Festival to you!
Full Weekend
League Supporters:
£140.00
(Full Price £160.00)
Under 16s:
£70.00
(Full Price £80.00)
Under 10s:
Free
Camping: £30 per tent or caravan
for the full 4 days
We are excited that the League will be our charity
partner for the festival this year. Set in the rolling
hills of Hampshire the Festival is surrounded by
beautiful countryside and I am looking forward
to being able to celebrate animals with our
festival goers and help prevent cruelty to
our beloved wildlife.
Peter Chegwyn, festival organiser
Full Day Tickets
Adults
£50.00
(Full Price £60.00)
Under 16s
£25.00
(Full Price £30.00)
Under 10s
Free
To book your discounted tickets
visit www.league.org/wickham
Summer 2016
18
YOU’RE HELPING
Become a Super Supporter
FUNDRAISING
CALENDAR 2016
Would you like to take an active role to
Keep Cruelty History?
June
Skydive in Salisbury
25th June 2016
You can take to the skies for animals by
visiting www.league.org.uk/skydive.
Guaranteed charity spaces are £50 and
recommended minimum sponsorship is
£395. Geronimo!
July
Ride London-Surrey 100
31st July 2016
Spaces are already selling fast for this
increasingly popular cycling event,
so grab your space today at
www.league.org.uk/ridelondon
to avoid disappointment! Guaranteed
charity spaces are £50 and recommended
minimum sponsorship is £500.
Our ever-growing UK-wide supporter groups
have been set up across the country by
like-minded people who wish to support the
work of the League. These groups undertake
a wide range of activities in support of the
League, including:
•
•
•
•
•
•
October
Royal Parks Half Marathon
9th October 2016
Book a space at league.org.uk/royalparks
and become a League Hero today!
Guaranteed charity spaces are £50
(you will receive a fundraising pack and
running vest) and recommended
minimum sponsorship is £350.
Running information stalls
Library displays
Organising small League events
Parliamentary lobbying
Letter writing
Fundraising initiatives
There are currently over a dozen groups
spread across the UK, as well as an
online forum designed to connect them
all together.
Each group has a life of its own, with its own
character, strategy and activity level – and
are all both fun and effective.
If you feel that these sorts of activities would
suit you, or that you have something to add
then please visit the website, contact us via
email at [email protected],
or call our office on 01483 524250.
Want to become a Super Supporter or join a Supporter Group?
The louder our voice, the stronger we stand.
Email [email protected] or call 01483 250 524 for more info
www.league.org.uk
19
Summer Raffle
Over £2,000 in cash prizes
to be won plus the chance to
be entered into a Super Seller
Draw with a chance of
winning an extra £200!
1st prize = £1,000
2nd prize = 2 x £250
3rd prize = 3 x £100
4th prize = 10 x £25
With so many cash prizes up for
grabs, please consider taking part
and helping to protect more animals
from cruelty.
And that’s not to mention the bonus
Super Seller draw. This is your chance
to be automatically entered to win a
£200 cash bonus prize – just from
buying or selling £20 worth of tickets.
All profits raised will help us to protect
animals, so why not ask friends and
family to take part too? This is a great
way of helping us combat wildlife
crime over the coming months.
You can also play securely online at:
www.league.org.uk/onlineraffle
Make an everlasting gift for animals
If you dream of a world where cruelty to animals through
sport is consigned to the history books, then remembering
the League in your Will is the perfect way of ensuring your
good work continues beyond your lifetime.
A gift in your Will, no matter what the size, will be invaluable in helping us
end cruelty to animals in the name of sport. Even a small gift, after you
have taken care of family and friends, can make a real difference for
animals in years to come.
If you would like more information on how to include the League in your
Will or to request a new ‘Guide to Gifts in Wills’ booklet, please call
Mike Cook on 01483 524 250 or email him at [email protected]
All correspondence on this matter will be dealt with in strictest confidence.
To request a Summer Raffle booklet if there
is not one enclosed and you do not wish to
play online, please contact us and we will
be delighted to post one to you.
You can also call to request extras!
Call 01483 524 250
or email [email protected]
You can sign up to
any of our events
on offer, or request
a FREE A-Z of
Fundraising Ideas
or Fundraising
Guide by contacting
Mike on 01483 524
250, emailing
[email protected]
or visiting
www.league.org.uk/LeagueHero
League Against Cruel Sports
New Sparling House
Holloway Hill
Godalming
Surrey
GU7 1QZ
Tel: 01483 524 250
General email enquiries:
[email protected]
Campaign enquiries:
[email protected]
www.league.org.uk
www.twitter.com/LeagueACS
www.facebook.com/
LeagueAgainstCruelSports
League Against Cruel Sports is a registered
charity in England and Wales (no.1095234)
and Scotland (SC045533)
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