Bloody PETA Action at the Federal Hunters' Convention in Fulda

Protest against a deadly hobby

The Federal Hunters' Convention 2023 takes place on June 15 and 16 in Fulda.

Immediately before the presidium session, supporters of the animal protection organization PETA protest against the bloody hobby of recreational hunters: dressed in flesh-colored underwear and a fox mask, one activist will lie on the ground smeared with fake blood, trapped in a kill trap. The action takes place on Thursday from 9:15 a.m. in front of the Esperanto Congress and Cultural Centre Fulda. PETA fundamentally opposes hobby hunting and calls, as a first step, for a nationwide ban on the unnecessary hunting of foxes.

400’000 foxes killed annually

«As a purely recreational activity, around 400’000 foxes are killed in Germany every year, often in cruel ways,» said Peter Höffken, policy adviser at PETA. «Many animals die in agony from missed shots or are slowly crushed in kill traps. Yet there is no justification for this violence. Politicians must finally take action against this injustice.»

There is no reason — neither from a wildlife biology nor a public health perspective — for the mass hunting of predators. These sensitive and beneficial animals are mistreated by hobby hunters as living targets. PETA points out that killing animals as a “hobby” is incompatible with animal protection law, and a ban is long overdue.

Debunked assumptions about foxes

Long-debunked assumptions about foxes continue to circulate: the often-feared risk of disease transmission by these animals is nearly negligible. Germany has been rabies-free since 2008, and “alveolar echinococcosis,” caused by the fox tapeworm, is among the rarest parasitic infectious diseases in Europe. Hobby hunting of foxes does not reduce the population in the slightest, as losses are quickly offset by immigration and rising birth rates. The argument of species protection put forward by hobby hunters is also pure window dressing. Foxes feed primarily on mice. Population declines in affected species, such as the European hare, are predominantly attributable to habitat loss and dwindling food supplies. Furthermore, hobby hunters across the country kill more than 100’000 hares themselves every year.

Hobby hunting of foxes has been banned in Luxembourg since April 2015, without any problems arising as a result. In Germany, however, the senseless killing continues. In most federal states, hunting with kill traps is still permitted and considered a common hunting practice for foxes. Although these cruel snap traps are supposed to kill instantly, in reality the animals are often severely injured instead; due to severed limbs, comminuted fractures, or crushed body parts, many of them struggle for days and die in agony.

PETA points out that the more than 400’000 hobby hunters in Germany are faced with only around 1’000 professional hunters, primarily forestry officials.