Leicester Animal Rights welcome Oakham Town Council's decision concerning the Cottesmore Hunt email
Leicester A.R. (leicesteranimalrightsgroup@gmail.com)
To Oakham Town Councillors,
We welcome your decision concerning the Cottesmore Hunt on 25/11/2015 especially the concerns raised of wildlife crime & animal welfare. You rightly noted the conviction of Cottesmore Hunt employee Dean Jones in September for obstructing badger sett entrances. This can result in badgers (a protected species) suffocating to death & is only done to prevent the escape of foxes from hounds. It is also worth noting that a League Against Cruel Sports investigation published in 2011 linked the Cottesmore Hunt to artificial earths designed to encourage fox breeding. The only explanation for this is that they intend to illegally hunt foxes & thus require high quarry levels. You rightly raised other concerns stemming from the Cottesmore Hunt’s event but as wildlife campaigners our focus is on protecting wildlife from needless persecution.
Research from many wildlife conservation organisations has found that the majority of wildlife species in the UK have declined & continue to decline, including the red fox whose current population is estimated to be 29% less than it was in 1995. As a result of this, we believe the traditions of hunting & destroying wild animals should be replaced with efforts to protect, encourage & restore their numbers. We hope you will honour your democratic decision and not allow the Cottesmore Hunt to meet on Cutts Close if this issue is debated again. We also hope on the grounds of wildlife protection they will not be allowed on any Oakham Town Council land this year or in any other year.
Yours sincerely,
Leicester Animal Rights
