Vermin

For over four hundred years the UK has waged an unremitting war against wildlife. It began with Tudor "vermin laws" legislation under Henry VIII. This was not hunting for food, but a campaign aimed at extermination. To assist the campaign they demonised much of the UK wildlife as vermin.

From that time large-scale, systematic killing was directed at most of our familiar wild animals and many wild birds: badgers, foxes, hedgehogs, squirrels, otters; green woodpeckers, jays, kingfishers, bullfinches and birds of prey. Millions upon millions of what we now regard as attractive wild creatures were slaughtered, in two phases: first, by country people, from about 1530 to 1800, to claim cash bounties; second, by gamekeepers controlling predators on shooting estates, from about 1800 onwards.

Many terriermen still demonise wildlife as vermin to justify their sadistic pleasure in killing. Gamekeeper Stephen Metcalfe of Leyburn, for example, when arrested after setting two dogs on a snared fox in a yard told police that "I don't think it was wrong — it's just a dog killing a fox. It's vermin."

In order to support a badger cull, bloodsport supporters have been demonising badgers again despite the fact that badgers are among the most persecuted animal. Bloodsport supporter Jeremy Clarkson, writing in the Sun (14th May 2011), stated that badgers are 'a smelly, diseased black and white rat'. Whilst Clarkson's comments can be dismissed as his usual boorish attempt to be outrageous, his comment will no doubt be lapped up by every sadistic badger baiter in the country.

Behind every gross act of cruelty there will always be someone who defends it on the grounds that the animal was vermin.

For now we are linking to the North West Hunt Saboteurs 'Vermin Patrol' section but we'll be adding additional sections shortly.