British hunters took to fields and forests on the year's biggest hunting day on Tuesday in a show of determination to maintain the tradition despite the ban on the age-old custom of killing foxes with packs of dogs.
LONDON — British hunters took to fields and forests on the year's biggest hunting day on Tuesday in a show of determination to maintain the tradition despite the ban on the age-old custom of killing foxes with packs of dogs.
Organisers laid trails with the smell of foxes, rather than allowing dogs to chase real foxes, to avoid falling foul of the ban imposed nearly two years ago on hunts in England and Wales.
Riders turned out in the coats of vivid red known as "pink" as more than 300 hunts met, according to countryside campaigners.
The Countryside Alliance, a pro-hunting group, said Tuesday's hunt was the biggest ever on Boxing Day, with some 250,000 people attending the hunts in mostly mild, dry weather.
"Hunting has shown that it will not be broken by the ban," said the alliance's chief executive, Simon Hart, who joined a crowd of 700 at the South Pembrokeshire hunt in Wales.
Under the ban, foxes can be killed by a bird of prey or shot but not hunted by dogs. Many hunters say galloping down a pre-laid scented trail is no match for the thrill of chasing a real fox.
The Vale of Aylesbury with Garth and South Berks hunt had 3,000 at its meeting in Buckinghamshire, west of London.
"Support like this so close to London shows that hunting isn't some sort of weird rural tradition that is dying out," said huntsman Gerald Sumner.
Prime Minister Tony Blair's government imposed the ban after years of furious debate. Hundreds of thousands of hunt supporters marched through London to protest, while animal rights activists vowed to ensure the ban was enforced.
Opponents of the ban say it will put an end to a traditional way of life and important source of revenue for rural communities. They also say foxes are a menace to poultry and livestock and must be controlled.
The ban's supporters say killing foxes with dogs is cruel, and chasing a scented trail is a good substitute.
"We don't have a problem with hunts meeting to either drag or trail hunt, as long as they do not violate the Hunting Act," a spokeswoman for the League Against Cruel Sports said.
Source: Reuters
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