Urban Foxhunter blog owner reward offered
A cash reward of 1,000 is being offered by a wildlife expert in Kent for the identity of the owner of the Urban Foxhunters blog, an offer that is also being matched by charity The Fox Project.
The blog features a video of a group of people hunting and killing an urban fox in London. The writer signs off each post as 'LH' - the Lone Horseman.
It describes the Urban Fox Hunters as: "a collective from victoria park who hate foxes... and we are now doing something about it!"
This video has caused outrage across the web and it has since been removed from YouTube, Vimeo and Facebook.
A Facebook spokeswoman confirmed it had been removed and told Web User: "When people sign up to Facebook they must agree to our terms. Part of this specifies that posts must not depict sadistic infliction of harm on animals."
"Any content that is reported to us that violates our terms will be removed," she continued.
Lone Horseman wrote on his blog: "Video keeps getting pulled down, but am just emailing now to people who wants it. They can't silence us! Watch this space..."
John Bryant, a leading wildlife consultant has now offered 1,000 for anyone who identifies the Lone Horseman. Bryant runs a humane deterrence service.
And The Fox Project in Kent has matched this offer for any information that leads to the conviction of those involved.
Director of The Fox Project, Trevor Williams told Web User: "Our reason for wanting these people brought to justice is primarily on the basis of animal welfare. They have broken at least four laws and it is vital the law sends a message that cruelty to animals in any form will not be tolerated."
"We are suggesting members of the public add their own reward pledges to the joint figure offered by ourselves and by John Bryant. And to people resident in close proximity to the offences - we are asking for information to assist the investigation being carried out by the Met's Wildlife Crime Unit."
"Some tentative information has already been forthcoming, albeit with reservations, given the understandable fear of reprisals from people already known for violence," he continued.
John Bryant told Web User: "I have offered a reward is because these sick and sadistic animal killers need to stopped. Some of these thugs will be known to local people and I hope a reward will result in the police or RSPCA being given useful information."
The Lone Horseman is yet to respond to Web User's request for a comment.
Urban foxes made the news when one attacked twin babies in a house in Hackney in May.
The blog has spawned a counter Facebook group called Clubbing Urban Fox Hunters and which has taken the original blog's tagline and made it: "We perform a public service to keep our streets safe. We are a group of local residents who hate urban fox hunters and are now doing something about it."
