A deer chased by a pack of dogs during a hound hunt in Compiègne did not fail to reignite the debate on this ancestral practice of violence and cruelty to animals.
This Saturday, September 19 near the forest of Compiègne, in the Oise, a deer took refuge near the houses following a hunt with hounds. This ancestral mode of hunting, still authorized in France, consists of chase a wild animal with a pack of dogs, until it is exhausted and taken.
The deer pursued by the pack in its heels found refuge near dwellings. The deer, lying on the asphalt in front of a construction site, seemed exhausted. Anti-hunting activists were quick to denounce this incident. “This is really an example of what hounds do. Look! There is a deer with its tongue hanging out 10 meters away from us. We don't know if it is going to go into cardiac arrest. it makes no sense in the 21st century to witness scenes like this. ", protested Stanislas Broniszewski, spokesperson for the group Let's abolish venery today (AVA).
The residents, alerted by the cries of the dogs, were also shocked by the situation and worried that the hunting with hounds is taking place so close to homes. "I do not find this normal: an animal must stay in the forest and not on the road ", explained a resident to France Info. “Next time, we may have the animal directly in our yard, another alert. It's really very worrying, especially since we live right in front of the forest. It's scary."said another.
The hunters found themselves stopped by activists but also by the press. A presence that did not fail to disturb them. "We're within our rights, we've taken our dogs away! It's legal, so why are they pissing us off?an angry hunter said.
But anti-hunting activists do not intend to stop there. Their aim is not only to disrupt hunters but also to sensitize public opinion by showing in photos and videos the problem of hunting with hounds. "We're just on foot, armed with cameras, there's not much we can do … But if we can at least film this and explain to people what's going on, it's already huge. ", confided an activist.
The deer was pardoned, in accordance with a decree of March 2019, which prohibits the slaughter of an animal found in a inhabited or commercial area. A veterinarian dispatched by the town hall was able to ensure that the deer was in good health and could return safely to the forest. He is now safe and sound.
However, the hunting season has barely opened and this incident reopens the debate on this practice considered particularly violent and cruel to animals. Last week, the prefect of Oise issued a decree restricting access to the Compiègne forest on certain hunting days in order to prevent the two camps from clashing.
Anti-hunting activists are also fighting against the practice of slime hunting, which involves coating tree branches with glue in order to immobilize birds landing on them to capture them and which they then serve as bait.