Two years on from the banning of fox hunting secret film obtained by the League Against Cruel Sports reveals the blood lust motivating many hunters. It exposes the lies told by one prominent Hunt in an attempt to cover its barbaric and illegal behaviour.
The Crawley and Horsham Foxhounds claim to have switched to legal trail hunting in which the hounds follow an artificial scent. Joint Master Jamie Hawkfield says that his hunt does not pursue live foxes. The secret film shows this to be a blatant, cynical lie.
The reality is caught on film in horrifying detail. A fox is pursued by the Crawley and Horsham Hunt over the Sussex Countryside. It seeks refuge in a small hole on the edge of a field. Twenty minutes later – and after a frantic dig out involving three men, spades and two terriers – the fox is dragged to the surface, held aloft and thrown to the waiting hounds. After ten minutes of being savaged by the hounds – encouraged by watching huntsmen – almost nothing remains of the fox.
In another scene foxes are shown having their tails sliced off. It later emerged the tails were to be presented as a wedding present to one of the hunters.
Douglas Batchelor, Chief Executive of the League Against Cruel Sports said:
“I had hoped that with the passing of the Hunting Act I would never have to watch such scenes again. The behaviour shown is barbaric and illustrates how far some hunters are prepared to go in order to fulfil their blood lust”.
Crawley and Horsham Hunt Report (PDF)
Hunt Details
