A hunt in Gloucestershire has been suspended following the release of video purporting to show a fox buried alive in a bag.
The video was initially broadcast on Channel 4 News and was captured by the Cirencester Illegal Hunt Watch. It appears to depict hunt saboteurs removing a fox from a man-made den on the Miserden Estate on March 18th. Since then, the British Hound Sports Association (BHSA) has suspended the hunt and begun an investigation.
The group asserts that the video depicts “fox-bagging,” the practise of capturing, trapping, and releasing foxes for hounds to pursue during a hunt. Experts in animal rescue determined that the fox was female and possibly lactating when it was discovered. The bag in which it was discovered was reportedly “saturated” with urine.
The allegations come one month after the Wiltshire-based Avon Vale Hunt was expelled from the sport’s governing body after a video appeared to show a fox being dragged from its den and thrown to hounds.
Although it has been illegal to hunt foxes in England since 2004, trail hunting, which involves following a pre-laid scent, is permitted. The Cotswold Hunt will be referred to the Hound Sports Regulatory Authority for disciplinary action if found guilty. Additionally, Gloucestershire Police have confirmed that they are investigating the incident.
The Cotswold Hunt has been suspended while the BHSA conducts an investigation. If there is evidence of illegal activity or a violation of the BHSA’s core principles, the matter will be referred to the Hound Sports Regulatory Authority for consideration of appropriate disciplinary measures, according to a spokesperson.
The shocking discovery of a fox allegedly being buried alive in Gloucestershire has prompted an investigation by both Gloucestershire Police and the British Hound Sports Association (BHSA) into illegal practises involving hunts. The Cotswold Hunt has been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation, and further disciplinary action may be taken if evidence of illegal activity is discovered.
