Chris Packham targeted with dead fox after he spoke out on hunting
31 December 2019, 06:22
Wildlife presenter Chris Packham claims he's been targeted by pro-fox hunting activists who left a dead fox outside his home after he spoke out on the issue.
The anti-fox hunting campaigner posted a video on Twitter, saying that he found the animal in the driveway outside his Hampshire home on Monday.
The Springwatch presenter said in his tweet: "It appears that if you oppose the cruelty and illegality of fox hunting and those who club them to death, you don't just get social media abuse."
The video showed the animal in his driveway, with a large dark mark around its body, something Mr Packham called a "snare" injury.
The incident comes just days after Mr Packham tweeted a video of a man attacking the vehicle of hunt saboteurs with a dead fox.
Mr Packham called the animal "beautiful" and added: "It seems that if you stick up for foxes, you get your comeuppance from people who still think it's a good idea to kill them."
In the message, he also tagged the RSPCA and the League Against Cruel Sports, and said he would be contacting the police.
The wildlife campaigner also referenced a prominent QC's Boxing Day "boast" that he had killed a fox with a baseball bat.
It appears that if you oppose the cruelty and illegality of fox hunting and those who club them to death you don’t just get social media abuse . The body of a fox has been dumped at my house . . . @LeagueACS @RSPCA_official The police have been informed pic.twitter.com/z1G8GqFvu3
— Chris Packham (@ChrisGPackham) December 30, 2019
Jolyon Maugham claimed the animal had "got caught up in the protective netting around the chickens" and he "wasn't sure what else to do".
Mr Packham tweeted about the incident at the time, saying: "Managing wildlife doesn't necessitate cruelly killing it."
The RSPCA said in a statement: "We are concerned and saddened that a dead fox, with injuries likely to be caused by a snare trap, was left at Chris Packham's home.
"We strongly oppose traps which can cause terrible suffering to animals.
"We understand this incident has been reported to the police and are ready to assist them if needed."
Hampshire Police said they could not find any record of the incident in their system.
It is not the first time the 58-year-old presenter has been targeted as a result of his environmentalism, and in the past he has had death threats and dead crows left hanging outside his home.
