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After more than 250 years, one of the oldest fox hunts in Scotland announced that it would end. The Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire Foxhounds met frequently since 1771, but their final meeting at their base in Houston was last weekend.
A new law in Scotland that bans hunting with a group of dogs started this week.
The hunt club also says that there is not enough land for hunting because of urbanization.
The hunt club will continue but without hunting. Instead, there will be horse races and other social events. The hunting dogs from the hunt club will be sent to other kennels.
Anti-hunting groups that often tried to sabotage the fox hunts are very happy about the news.
Polly Portwin, a member of the Countryside Alliance hunting organization, says that it’s becoming more expensive to operate a hunt club and land for hunting is disappearing. She thinks that hunting can continue by joining together with other groups and sharing land.
The new law replaces a fox hunting ban from 20 years ago. The new law says that hunters can not use packs of dogs to find wild animals unless they have a license. It’s also illegal to chase and kill an animal with a dog. The animal must be shot.
The law from 20 years ago allowed hunters to use dogs if they were protecting livestock.
Vocabulary
- Fox hunt – a game/competition in which people on horses chase/go after a fox
- Announce – share information openly; to tell the public; to make a statement; to report
- Frequently – regularly; often; repeatedly
- Base – a place that is the center of operations; camp; headquarters; site; center
- Law – a rule, regulation, or guideline set by the government
- Ban – to not allow; to stop; to forbid; prohibit;
- Hunt club – an organization or group of people who hunt for sport/hobby
- Urbanization – the process of making an area more urban or city; to build more houses, roads, shops, offices, etc.
- Social events – activities or gatherings where people interact and talk with each other
- Kennel – a place where dogs are kept and/or trained; a home for dogs
- Sabotage – destroy; disrupt; wreck; impair; ruin; damage
- Organization – a group of people with one purpose; an agency; a society; company
- Operate – to manage; run; use; to control or use a machine;
- Disappear – can’t be found; vanish; not able to be seen
- Replace – to take the place of; to substitute; to come after; to fill in; swap; exchange
- Pack – a group of animals, like dogs or wolves, that hunt or travel together
- License – an official document or permit that authorizes/allows someone to do something (driving license)
- Illegal – not allowed by law; forbidden by official rules; unlawful; criminal
- Chase – to follow quickly; to pursue or run after something or someone; go after
- Allowed – permission to do something; it’s OK; permitted; you may; you can
- Protect – keep safe or secure; guard; defend
- Livestock – horses, cows, sheep, etc. kept or raised on a farm; farm animals
Quiz
Discussion Questions
- What is your opinion on fox hunting and other types of hunting? Should it be banned, allowed with restrictions, or allowed without restrictions? Is fishing different from hunting?
- Do you think it’s important to preserve traditional practices such as fox hunting, even if they are controversial?
- Should hunting clubs be allowed to operate even if there isn’t enough land for hunting? What do you think of the idea of sharing land between hunting clubs to continue the practice of hunting?
Original Story
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- English learners looking for study ideas, check out my post on using news stories for English practice.
