Radios for Hull's wildlife protectors!

Protecting the Wild Equipment Fund #3: Hull Wildlife Protectors

Protect the Wild is working hard to empower people to protect British wildlife. In the Spring we began building a unique information resource to help tackle wildlife crime and acts of criminality that we called ‘Protectors of the Wild‘. ‘Protectors’ has now expanded to 35 pages and answers about 400 FAQs on everything from laws protecting foxes, birds of prey, badgers, and bats, to legislation covering firearms, assault, quad bike use, and traps and snares.

We wanted to do more though. So this summer we launched the Protecting the Wild Equipment Fund. The fund provides equipment like radios or cameras to individuals or groups who are working in the field to protect wildlife. We’re working hard to raise the profile of the fund so that more groups can benefit, and as part of that effort we’ve asked each recipient to explain what they do and how they are using the equipment we have provided – not only to show supporters how their donations are being spent, but also to encourage other groups to apply! After all, the more ‘eyes in the field’ there are, the higher the chances that wildlife criminals will be caught, and the safer wildlife will be.

In just the last couple of weeks we’ve heard from the Cheshire Borderland Monitors, from an independent monitoring group covering the North York Moors National Park, and now it’s the turn of Hull Wildlife Protectors.

In this post they tell us who they are, what they do, and how they will benefit from the Protecting the Wild Equipment Fund.

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“Hull Wildlife Protectors are a group of wildlife lovers working on a volunteer basis to protect wildlife in Hull and East Yorkshire. We protect wildlife by providing a rescue and transport service to reputable rehabilitators. We also monitor the Holderness Hunt and other groups that persecute foxes and other wildlife.

We are extremely grateful to Protect the Wild for helping us to buy six new radios, which have a greater range than our existing ones. This is important to us as our local hunt often covers a large area and these new radios will help us co-ordinate our teams more effectively.

Hull Wildlife Protectors have been working with the newly formed Humberside Police Rural Taskforce, learning about evidence gathering, relevant laws and legislation to help secure conviction when laws are broken and foxes killed in the hunt’s illegal pursuits.

We often hold outreach stalls at events and advise members of the public on all matters relating to wildlife protection, giving them information on who to contact if they see a hunt or any suspected wildlife crime in their area. We are often surprised by how many people think that fox hunting no longer happens and have never heard of cubbing when new hounds are trained. Being a nation of dog lovers, they get upset to learn that the hounds are shot after around seven seasons or if they are simply deemed unsuitable.

The Hunting Act needs replacing (see Protect the Wild’s ‘A Proper Ban on Hunting’ campaign) as these hunts are “getting away with murder”! Until then we will do everything in our power to expose the truth.”

• Hull Wildlife Protectors are on Facebook at facebook.com/HullWildlifeProtectors/, we can be contacted on 07376 309331, and if you would like to help support our work please go to paypal.me/HullWP

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Protect the Wild is able to buy the equipment we give out because of paid subscriptions on Substack. While all our content is free, any money we do receive from paid subscriptions is ringfenced and used to buy equipment to put ‘eyes in the field’. It’s a simple idea – but the best ideas usually are! If you’d like to know more we have explained it all in our post “What do we mean by “Empowering people to protect British wildlife“?

With your support we will be giving out many more pieces of equipment to groups over the coming months and years. And we will always keep you up to date with how your support is directly helping wildlife!

If you’re an individual or organization working in the field and would like to apply to our fund please read our T&Cs here first and use the online application form on the same page.