Shocking image shows fox allegedly killed during a fox hunt

A SHOCKING image shows a fox that was allegedly killed during a fox hunt.

The fox was pictured by North London Hunt Saboteurs, in what is believed to be Hertfordshire, yesterday after they claimed: “The Puckeridge Hunt just killed this fox.”

The brutal picture shows a fox that has suffered mortal wounds around its neck and upper body.

The attack left the fox’s upper intestines and other parts of its insides exposed.

The dead animal was being held in the arms of man, while it was semi wrapped in a fleece to show it’s horrific injuries.

The North London Hunt Saboteurs, disgusted with what had happened to the creature, took to Twitter to lay blame on who they believed to be responsible for the animal’s gruesome death. 

They wrote: “The Puckeridge Hunt just killed this fox. 

“This is fox hunting. 

“Trail hunting is a lie. 

“Police called.”

The shocking post has received over 800 likes and over 600 retweets in less than a day. 

Social media users were horrified to see what had happened to the fox and were enraged. 

@sanjay_ahl said: “My heart breaks.

“Grown men in large numbers with hounds brutally killing wild animals in painful ways, causing suffering. 

“This is not a civilised pastime. 

“It has no place in 2021. 

“Shame on the Government for being dishonest on this matter.”

@Fizza09 wrote: “Vile and deeply disturbing.

“It’s against the law, so why are there no prosecutions?”

@NippyByNature commented: “Ripped apart alive by a pack of dogs, absolutely heartbreaking. 

“All for the entertainment of rich people.”

@ChrisDBowen added: “Police do nothing but turn a blind eye.”

North London Hunt Saboteurs say they witnessed the hunt yesterday.

Speaking today a spokesperson from North London Hunt Saboteurs said: “For around 3 hours prior to this kill, we had witnessed the Puckeridge Hunt consistently putting a pack of around thirty foxhounds into areas likely to contain foxes.

“We would turn up, the hunt would move on, but by mid afternoon the conditions were atrocious for our foot team and the hunt managed to get ahead for long enough to make this kill.

“Frustratingly, our team were on the scene of the kill only about a minute later.

“By which point the huntsman had run away, leaving the body of the fox.

“Fortunately, the hunt could not outrun our drone and the footage will be sent to Hertfordshire Constabulary in due course.

The spokesperson added: “The weak Hunting Act makes it possible for ‘trail hunting’ to be used as a smokescreen behind which real, illegal, fox hunting can take place.

“This has been demonstrated again and again in recent years and has lead to several major landowners banning fox hound packs, like the Puckeridge, from their land.

“We would call on the government to bring sentencing guidelines for Hunting Act offences into line with those of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, meaning a max 5 year sentence for illegally hunting foxes.”

A spokesman for the Puckeridge Hunt said: “The Puckeridge Hunt was conducting lawful trail hunting activities on Monday, 27th December, when an incident occurred which the hunt immediately reported to the police and we will, of course, assist with any further inquiries.”

In the lead up to the traditional Boxing Day hunts, Labour demanded that trail hunts on public land be banned.

But the UK Government granted several licenses allowing them to go ahead, despite a growing swell of public bodies who wish to deny permission to allow them to happen on their land.