Trail of lies: new animation draws attention to fox hunting ‘smokescreen’
A new animation narrated by Chris Packham and released by the campaign group Keep the Ban aims to raise awareness of so-called ‘trail hunting’, exposed last year by hunt saboteurs as a subterfuge for illegal fox hunting in the UK.
Keep The Ban’s animation A trail of lies, narrated by TV presenter and conservationist Chris Packham and voiced by actor Peter Egan, documents key moments since fox hunting was made illegal in England when the Hunting Act 2004 came into force.
The animation - created by Ben Sinclair - reveals the lie that is ‘trail hunting’ and exposes how it is has been used as a “smokescreen” for illegal fox hunting. Hunts that declare themselves to be trail hunts claim to be following an artificial scent as opposed to a live mammal but as explained in the animation, “During a decade long study, hunt monitors reported that only one per cent of so-called trail hunts lay a potentially genuine trail”.
The animation also makes reference to the presence of terriermen - the thugs employed by hunts to dig out foxes and keep hunt saboteur activists away, usually through violent means as seen in countless videos published via sab social media accounts - as proof of the trail hunt lies. These individuals are directly or indirectly employed by hunts to ensure foxes cannot escape underground either by digging them out or blocking badger setts prior to a hunt. Following on from this the animation then focuses on the ‘turning point’.
Never miss an article
Stay up-to-date with the weekly Surge newsletter to never miss an article, media production or investigation. We respect your privacy.
“Since fox hunting became illegal in 2004 there has been endless evidence that hunts have no desire to abide by the law,” Keep the Ban writes on its website. “With thousands of foxes still being murdered, the use of terrier men, hounds clearly not following a scent and causing harm (and death) to domestic animals, and the shocking exposé of senior huntsman Mark Hankinson declaring on a webinar that trail hunting is in fact a ‘smokescreen’.
“This year the National Trust made the historic decision to ban so-called ‘trail hunts’ from their land and Keep The Ban is now pushing to ensure all other landowners follow suit.”
The decision by the National Trust, one of the UK’s leading heritage conservation charities, followed the verdict given to Mark Hankinson, the director of the Masters of the Foxhounds Association (MFHA). Hankinson was found guilty of encouraging others to commit crimes in relation to the Hunting Act following comments he made in two webinars to more than 100 MFHA members in 2020.
During the webinar, which was leaked to anti-hunting groups, Hankinson described trail hunting as a “smokescreen” to ensure illegal hunting of foxes with hounds could continue. It is these comments that provide the focus of the Keen the Ban video.
The campaign also includes a petition calling for an end to ‘trail hunt’ licences. The petition has already garnered more than 130,000 signatures since the animation was released on Christmas Day.
Andrew Gough is Media and Investigations Manager for Surge.
Your support makes a huge difference to us. Supporting Surge with a monthly or one-off donation enables us to continue our work to end all animal oppression.
LATEST ARTICLES
