On the 15th November, the Derwent Hunt once again trespassed into our Chafer Wood nature reserve near Ebberston. We are absolutely outraged at their audacity and disrespect.
We have reported this latest violation, with further information shared with us by visitors to our nature reserve, brave members of action groups and residents, to the police and will discuss further with them.
We are deeply concerned to see that the Derwent Hunt have no regard or respect for the boundaries and laws of the land, and apparently care very little for the wildlife they disrupt or people they disturb. Our nature reserves provide a home, rest and sanctuary for all wildlife and are peaceful places for people to enjoy.
Sadly, these trespasses follow a repeated pattern of behaviour by the Derwent Hunt, including on January 27th 2024; an incident which we reported to the police. On that occasion, the Derwent Hunt apologised for entering our land and said they would take measures to ensure it wouldn’t happen next season. These measures have obviously not worked.
We thank the local action groups and members of the public for their bravery in taking a stand against such activities and encourage them to share any information they have with North Yorkshire police. Given the Hunt’s evidenced inability to control their hounds around our reserve or take meaningful responsibility for their actions, we are taking legal advice on our next steps.