A poor calf was forced to run for its life and jump over walls while escaping a pack of crazed hunt hounds, with the chase has been caught on a disturbing video.
The footage, which was captured by Nottingham Hunt Saboteurs, shows the young cow being swarmed by dogs after they burst onto a farmer's field near Broxtowe in Nottinghamshire. In it, the calf can be seen narrowly avoiding the chasing pack of terrifying hounds from the High Peak Hunt as it leaps over drystone walls designed to keep livestock in the field.
The dogs were eventually called off by huntsmen before they managed to catch the animal.
An animal rights activist filming the footage can be heard saying: "Oh my God, look at this calf running for its life.
"They are actually chasing a calf through a field. Are they on something and the calf is just running or are they actually in cry after the calf?"
Nottingham Hunt Saboteurs will now be forwarding the footage on to police and the RSCPA to see if any legal action can be taken.
A spokesperson explained that a lot of people were scrambling to get hunts in before lockdown, adding that his particular one hunts hares and foxes. "I have no doubt they were looking for hares, there's no way they would lay a fox trail so close to livestock," they said.
"You can see them swarming around this poor calf. It is running for its life and terrified because there's no way they would usually clear three drystone walls.
"Those walls are designed to keep them in, so it was going to drastic measures to get away. Its mum had bolted as well and must have feared for her young."
The spokesperson added that: "The farmers give permission to these hunts for them to be on their land but when this farmer sees this video I'm sure he's going to be displeased to say the least.
"We were disgusted that they are allowed to get away with this. They come very close to getting him at so point, so it was very lucky to escape unscathed."
A spokesperson for the High Peak Hunt said the "highly unusual incident" that took place on 4th November happened after some young hounds became distracted while carrying out lawful trail hunting activities, adding that the hunt staff stopped the hounds as soon as possible and that they have never experienced anything of this nature in the past.
"Throughout the hunting day, the hounds are constantly distracted by the activities of the hunt saboteurs who have a history of shouting or blowing hunting horns and spraying unknown substances around the hounds in order to distract them.
"Our professional hunt staff, who devote their lives to their hounds, take pride in the education of the hounds which includes introducing them to animals, children and other hazards that they might encounter during the hunting day.
"The Hunt can confirm that they have been in contact with the farmer to ensure the welfare of the cow and calf, and will, of course, take steps to ensure they avoid any possibility of a recurrence."
A Derbyshire Police spokesperson has said that: "Derbyshire Constabulary takes reports of this nature very seriously and we urge anyone with this type of footage to get in touch directly with the force at the earliest opportunity."
Hopefully they can act quickly to stop this happening again.
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