"I hope my karma never catches up with me" - A former hunter recalling the pain and death he caused to animals in the past. He is one of those interviewed on a recent episode of TG4’s "Fíorscéal”.

The powerful episode, entitled Fiach agus Foghlaeireacht (Hunting and Coursing) exposes the suffering of animals in hunting, shooting and coursing and asks the question: What drives people all over the world to hunt animals, often driving them towards extinction?

Focusing on many animal cruelty issues, including fox hunting, deer/wolf/bird/bear/elephant/rhino shooting, the horrendous Faroe Islands’ pilot whale slaughter, Canadian seal hunt, etc.

Also featured was the horrific abuse of Galgos greyhounds in Spain. The dogs are used in hunting and coursing and routinely abandoned or brutally killed when no longer wanted. Methods of killing include shooting and hanging, while others are thrown down wells. ICABS has brought this to the attention of the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue and urged him to act to stop the export of Irish greyhounds to Spain.

The programme contains some upsetting scenes but there is an emphasis on the power of people to bring about change for animals.

Among those interviewed is Australian philanthropist and animal rights activist Philip Wollen who says: "Hunting is not an industry. It's an atrocity. Hunting is not a sport either. After all, what kind of sport predetermines the outcome. What kind of sport requires one of the participants to be unwillingly brought into the fray. What kind of sport, for example, lets one party determine the field of play. What kind of sport allows only one party to be the victor and the other party to die an agonising death."

Fíorscéal: Fiach agus Foghlaeireacht is available to view on the TG4 Player https://www.tg4.ie/en/player/home/?pid=6252743712001