Fox Hunting

Fox hunting has been one of the most divisive issues among the British population in the past few years. On the first glance, the debate seems like an issue of rural versus urban ways of life, of blood sports devotees versus animal rights activists, of upper class versus working class. In reality, however, there is much more to it. Emotionally charged discussions, from local pubs to the House of Commons, have made many people lose sight of the factual origins and the background of fox hunting. Written before the introduction of the Hunting Act 2004, this book provides a broad picture of fox hunting, dealing with its historical, sociocultural, political, economic and environmental implications. Not only does this work offer informative facts and figures, but it also looks at the political attempts to introduce a hunting ban and conveys an impression of the heated debate led by pro- and anti-hunting lobby groups. The book is addressed to proponents and opponents of fox hunting alike, to people who are interested or involved in hunting or who want to be informed about this controversial issue in a larger context.