Johannesburg - A fox hunting club in the United Kingdom has been slammed by animal rights groups after it auctioned off a trophy-hunting safari in South Africa.
The Avon Vale Hunt, which is based near Chippenham, is considered one of the most exclusive clubs in the country with millionaire members and an annual membership fee of £1 500.
But on October 1, British media reported that members of the hunt who attended its £90-a-head ball had the opportunity to bid on an all-paid hunting safari to South Africa.
The winner of the bid had the opportunity to shoot dead a springbok, a gemsbok, an impala and a warthog.
The prize included four nights in a lodge, with the services of a professional hunter and trackers. Rifles, ammunition, meals and drinks were included. The organisers refused to say how much they made from the auction, or who won it. Although, it was estimated that the prize was probably worth about £5 000.
For a long time, the Avon Vale Hunt has been in the crosshairs of animal rights organisations, who have been pushing for fox hunting to be banned in the UK.
There are organisations on Facebook that are dedicated to stopping the Avon Vale huntsmen and women when they head out with horses and hounds in pursuit of foxes.
The Facebook group exposing the Avon Vale Hunt tells people how to report and help stop a fox hunt if they happen to see one in progress.
But the trophy hunt has simply attracted more criticism towards the club.
The auction happens at a time when there has been a worldwide backlash against trophy hunting.
Even the new British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has vowed to ban live animal exports and trophy-hunting imports. Global animal rights organisation World Animal Protection recently published research in which they surveyed close to 11000 people and found that 7 out of 10 South African citizens said that their country “would be a more attractive tourist destination if they banned trophy hunting”.
“In my mind, it is clear that South Africans don’t like trophy hunting, but our government still pushes it. There is already a big move to ban it in the UK. Belgium has already done it,” says Michelle Pickover, who is the executive director of the animal rights organisation, the EMS Foundation.
Supporters of trophy hunting, however, argue that the sport brings in revenue and helps prevent overpopulation by picking off sick and older animals. The anti-trophy lobby, however, claims there is no evidence of this.
But for those who have long campaigned against the Avon Vale hunt, they are not surprised by the club’s latest money-making venture.
Wiltshire Hunt Saboteurs told the British press that: “We are disgusted but unsurprised to find our local fox hunt auctioning off a trophy hunting tourist trip to their supporters at their annual hunt ball.”