'Croeso' to the Welsh Border Wildlife Protectors

Welcome to a new group focussing on the notorious Wynnstay Hunt

A few weeks ago we were approached for help with equipment by a group we’d started seeing in online reports but didn’t know much about: the Welsh Border Wildlife Protectors (WBWP).

We had a chat with a spokesperson for the group and were immediately impressed. WBWP were (it was explained) a new group, but were made up of very experienced individuals. A focus on the notorious Wynnstay Hunt - a hunt that features with almost monotonous regularity on posts on our Substack and in numerous listings on our bloodbusiness.info website - was mentioned

• Protect the Wild: The season when hunts tear up fox cubs has already begun (August 2024)

• Protect the Wild: GUILTY: Wynnstay Hunt security guard convicted of racial abuse (July 2024)

• Protect the Wild: What did it take to convict huntsman Chris Woodward? (January 2024)

• Protect the Wild: Nazi salute hunt supporter pleads guilty to harassment (July 2023)

• Protect the Wild: Police are investigating the Wynnstay Hunt for interfering with a badger sett (February 2023)

WBWP said that they had been working in the field with Cheshire Borderland Monitors, a group we know well that also focuses on the Wynnstay, shares information almost every week, and that we have been proud to help in the recent past. We did our due diligence of course, and spoke with them. They gave WBWP a strong endorsement. They had worked with the WBWP in the field, respected the way they conducted themselves, and agreed they deserved Protect the Wild’s support. Excellent…

What did the Welsh Border Wildlife Protectors need from us, we asked? A drone, came the answer. Ah, now, as much as we want to help as many groups as we can, drones are expensive bits of kit and our rule of thumb is to offer a grant towards one and suggest we post something on the group’s behalf which could help raise the rest of the amount.

The group agreed, so that’s what we have done.

Protect the Wild has provided a £500 payment towards a drone and we are publishing an excellent appeal from WBWP themselves below…

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“We are the Welsh Border Wildlife Protectors. We’re a newly formed group of experienced and dedicated individuals who strive to help wildlife. 

A little about what we do:

• We predominantly focus on illegal fox hunts, which we attend twice a week.

• We will protest at shoots, because we cannot fathom how anyone finds enjoyment out of blasting defenceless birds from the sky. 

• If we stumble upon countryside ‘litter’, we swiftly clear it up, so our wildlife won’t be trapped and face a gruelling death.

• We spent 4 years doing the intensive badger cull in Cheshire, sett checking / surveying during the day and out until early hours in the morning protecting badgers from shooters.  We still continue to do a lot of badger work all over the place, making sure setts haven’t been targeted and log all findings.

• A couple of our group are active bird rehabbers and offer sanctuary space to those who are healthy but wouldn’t survive in the wild. We offer them an enriched, natural, large enclosure, where they can exhibit normal behaviour to live out the rest of their days.

When it comes to attending illegal hunts, over the years we have focused mainly on North Wales, Cheshire and Shropshire borders, but have also gone further afield.

Since we have come together as a group, we have mostly been attending the notorious Wynnstay Hunt, to support our friends Cheshire Borderland Monitors.

In only a few weeks we have saved multiple foxes and gathered evidence of illegal hunting and illegal activity, which is now being reviewed by the police. 

Right at the start of the ‘new’ season, it’s already not looking good for the Wynnstay, so we will continue to apply as much pressure as we can. 

As a new group we have not yet got all of the equipment we need when attending illegal hunts: one thing we feel we urgently need that is vital for footage, evidence and locating them, is a drone.

This will enable us to get footage from a bird’s eye view, which we can use to help towards getting a prosecution. 

It will also be extremely useful when the hunt tries to lose us - we will be able to locate them more quickly. 

We are all about direct action and we will continue to do everything we can to help our wildlife - and with the help of Protect The Wild, their supporters and our own supporters we hope to purchase that much-needed drone so we can be even more efficient. 

A heartfelt Thank You from all of us at Welsh Border Wildlife Protectors.”

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The WBWP have set up a GoFundMe to raise the rest of the money they need. If you’d like to help them out please use the button below - every pound will help!