Help Us Ban Violent Children’s Hunting in Aotearoa New Zealand

Killing for sport and competition is cruel, outdated, and unnecessary

Animals hunted for sport and competition endure lengthy, painful deaths as they are often badly injured but still alive.

In Defence of Animals explains, “Quick kills are rare, and many animals suffer prolonged, painful deaths when hunters severely injure but fail to kill them. Bow hunting exacerbates the problem, evidenced by dozens of scientific studies that have shown that bow hunting yields more than a 50 percent wounding and crippling rate. Some hunting groups promote shooting animals in the face or in the gut, which is a horrifically painful way to die.”

There is no such thing as a “fair chase”, despite hunting being called a sport and used in competitions - there are not two consenting parties in this brutal activity. “In hunting, the animal is forced to “participate” in a live-or-die situation that always leads to the death of the animal, whereas the hunter leaves, their life never remotely at stake.”

Over 100,000 years ago, hunting was part of survival for humans, but this is no longer the case. The controversial competition last year in North Canterbury, New Zealand’s South Island, involved 340 feral cats being hunted for cash prizes. According to The Guardian, over 1,500 people participated, with about 440 of them under 14 years old.

Animal Save Movement protesters attended the event because violence towards animals is cruel and unnecessary, and not conservation, despite hunters wanting us to believe it is. The truth is “hunting causes overpopulation of deer, the hunters’ preferred victim species, destroys animal families, and leads to ecological disruption as well as skewed population dynamics.”

Including children in violent hunting is damaging and abusive

Haunting images show children staring at dead animals strung up to a metal fence, hanging by their feet. Subjecting children to this is abusive, yet the North Canterbury hunting competition continues to run its events. 

The Guardian reported that the Canterbury SPCA said in a statement it was “extremely concerned” for the cats being killed. “There is a good chance someone’s pet may be killed during this event,” they said. “In addition, children often use air rifles in these sorts of events which increase the likelihood of pain and distress, and can cause a prolonged death.”

Activists attending to protest the violence had dead possums thrown at them. Studies have shown that “A growing body of research implicates witnessing animal cruelty as a predictor of various maladaptive behaviors in children, (e.g., aggression and violence), which may continue throughout the individual’s lifespan.”

“Childhood witnessing of violence and aggression towards people and animals is one of the prime risk factors for the perpetration of animal cruelty and violent acts in general.” – PubMed

When children are taught to view animals as objects for destruction, dismiss their suffering, and witness violence towards them, it goes against the United Nations’ Committee on the Rights of the Child. The UN has declared that children have a right to be protected from exposure to violence against animals.

As our petition states, the normalization of violent activities has other social implications. Aotearoa has consistently higher family violence rates than the rest of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries, with over 177,000 reported family-harm incidents from January to June in 2023.

Hunting disrupts migration and hibernation patterns

PETA states hunting disrupts migration and hibernation patterns and destroys families.

“Natural predators help maintain this balance by killing only the sickest and weakest individuals. Hunters, however, kill any animal whose head they would like to hang over the fireplace—including large, healthy animals who are needed to keep the population strong.”

Hunting makes it harder for some animals to find resources, can affect migration routes and hibernation patterns, and can affect the normal balance of predator and prey species. Furthermore, hunting can disrupt breeding cycles, and alter how animals use their habitats.

Hunting affects the delicate balance of ecosystems

Hunting harms the environment and disrupts the delicate balance of ecosystems. International Wildlife Coexistence Network explains, “The persecution of wild predators has profound ecological implications. Predators play a crucial role in maintaining the health and balance of ecosystems. They help regulate prey populations, which in turn affects the distribution of vegetation and the overall structure of the habitat. Removing predators from an ecosystem can lead to overpopulation of prey species, resulting in overgrazing and habitat degradation.”

They explain that the loss of apex predators triggers negative effects throughout the entire food web, as seen with the decline of wolves in North America, ultimately leading to the overpopulation of deer. This, in turn, affects forest regeneration through the over-browsing of young trees and shrubs.

Demand 3 of the Plant Based Treaty is to reforest the Earth and restore key ecosystems from the damage of animal agriculture. Our Safe And Just report states the Earth has lost one-third of its forest cover, with agriculture being one of the primary drivers of deforestation and habitat loss. Hunting is also responsible for harming our earth, in addition to the pain and suffering it causes animals. Furthermore, there is nothing natural about normalizing violent activities, especially when children are involved.

Instead of encouraging children to kill, parents, caregivers, schools, and communities should support kindness and compassion for all living creatures and teach them to love and protect animals. This makes for a kinder and gentler world and helps ensure humans and animals have a safe place to call home in the future.

Please join us in demanding change by signing the petition to Ban Children's Hunting in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Written by Miriam Porter