Skip to content or view screen version

Amazing, dramatic rescue of young vixen from jaws of hunting hounds

Alan Kirby, Protect Our Wild Animals | 24.11.2012 15:00 | London | Oxford

On 14-11-12, a young female hunt monitor literally dived into a melee of hounds from the Old Berks Hunt, grabbed a young vixen that was about to be mauled to death and, with colleagues help, carried it to safety. Stunning film of rescue now uploaded YouTube  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkY7w8u6uEw



Highly dramatic film clip of animal rescue now uploaded to You Tube
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkY7w8u6uEw

SNATCHED FROM THE JAWS OF DEATH BY GUARDIAN ANGEL

Brave girl hunt monitor saves young vixen from hounds of Prime Minister's first Hunt

A juvenile vixen, now named 'Lucky', owes her life to the quick thinking and courage of a young female hunt monitor who dived in and grabbed her from amongst of a melee of hounds that were beginning to savage the fox.

The young woman was monitoring the Old Berks Fox Hounds on Wednesday 14th November. Soon after the Hunt moved from the meet, at Elmwood House, Black Bourton, Oxfordshire, the Huntsman sent the pack into some scrubby woodland. At 11.31 am, hounds found 'Lucky' in scrub next to large slurry tanks on the edge of a farm.

Fortunately for the fox, her 'Guardian Angel' was only yards away. Heedless of her own safety, she ran forward screaming and was able to scare hounds off and grab the fox. She then scooped it up, away from the hounds which were snapping at 'Lucky' and would soon have torn the young animal to shreds. They had already bowled her over on to her back.

Despite have been bitten, the monitor hurried the terrified, struggling fox away cradled in her arms, whilst a colleague, who had filmed the incident, called for help. Followed by a hunter, they reached a fellow monitor's car and 'Lucky' was driven away to safety. Later checked for injuries, she was, thanks to the monitor's lightning reactions, found to have no serious wounds.

The fox's rescuer, who wishes to remain anonymous, said:-

“I just reacted. I couldn't let the poor little thing to torn apart by the dogs. But it was worth the pain and stress and I would do it all again. I feel privileged to have been able to rescue 'Lucky'. Words cannot express my contempt for people who want to make a 'sport' out of terrifying and killing defenceless wild animals. ”

The fox has now been rehabilitated back into an area where she will be safe from hunts.

The footage clearly shows hounds trying to bite her chest and abdomen – no 'quick nip to the back of the neck', the myth of a quick death still propagated by Hunts, despite having been long since refuted by post-mortem evidence on foxes killed by hunting hounds.

Further information;-

- The footage is being examined by lawyers from the RSPCA to see if their are grounds for charges under the Hunting Act 2004, though this demands very exacting and particular types and standards of proof.

- The Chairman of the Old Berks Hunt is Lord Astor, the stepfather of Samantha Cameron. His Lordship is also Chairman of the Committee to Repeal the Hunting Act.

- David Cameron is believed to have first ridden to hounds with the Old Berks, many years ago. He is now associated mainly with the nearby Heythrop Fox Hounds. The Heythrop, and four of its members, are facing over forty charges of illegal hunting in a case brought by the RSPCA, scheduled to begin in December. Mr.Cameron has pledged to try to repeal the Hunting Act.

- The monitors mentioned above are Associates of Protect Our Wild Animals. POWA campaigns for significant strengthening of the Hunting Act 2004, to deter hunters from breaking the spirit and letter of the law and to make it much easier to enforce. POWA fully supports the work of hunt monitors, but neither employs nor commissions them.

Alan Kirby, Protect Our Wild Animals
- e-mail: alank24@tesco.net
- Homepage: www.powa.org.uk