A gruesome trail of animal mutilations has long plagued the UK's countryside, but a new investigative podcast series is shedding light on the shocking extent of this sinister activity. 'Buried: Dead Rabbit', a joint endeavour by husband-and-wife journalists Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor, delves into the world of illegal hare coursing and its far-reaching impact on rural communities.
The catalyst for their investigation was a harrowing incident in 2024, when residents of a Hampshire village woke to find approximately 20 mutilated animal carcasses scattered around the village centre, including rabbits, hares, pheasants, a fox, and a decapitated muntjac deer, with blood seeping onto the streets outside a primary school.
A thorough examination of evidence has uncovered further instances of animal cruelty, such as lambs hung in public view and 50 dead animals deposited at a farm shop with blood smears on its windows. While initial speculation pointed to possible satanic activity, the podcast suggests that these acts are primarily intimidation tactics employed by organised groups of illegal hare hunters seeking to assert dominance and instil fear within their target communities.
The journalists collaborated with renowned wildlife presenter and activist Chris Packham, who has long been a vocal critic of hare coursing. Having experienced personal threats and attacks on his property, including a car bombing in 2021, Packham described the findings as "insidious and macabre," highlighting the lengths to which perpetrators will go to silence opposition.
The series exposes a 'mafia-esque' underworld where lucrative betting is facilitated through the dark web for high-stakes hare coursing championships. This culture of violence and intimidation has left farmers, whose land is often brazenly invaded by organised groups, facing relentless threats and mental health crises. Over the past three years, more than 8,500 incidents of illegal hare coursing have been reported to the police, with some targeted individuals reportedly pushed to suicidal thoughts due to the constant terror they face.