Not as Nature Intended - The Interview

What led you to become an undercover investigator? After a short and unsuccessful spell in professional football, I became a farm animal campaigner at Compassion in World Farming. This was the early 1990s and it was a lean period for pure vegan advocacy. I could see it was essential to try and outlaw the very worst of the farming systems, so I began working on campaigns to end barren battery cages, sow stalls, and live animal exports.

During this period I met a lot of politicians. I was delivering reams of scientific reports to them that explained how bad it was to confine farm animals in cages and crates. But it was never enough. They always wanted more than just black text on white paper. They wanted imagery, and I couldn’t find much, so after a campaign sabbatical I u-turned on lobbying, got myself some cheap cameras and began going undercover to document those systems the politicians were failing to take action against.

I did my first guerrilla assignment in 1999, inside a battery cage egg-laying system in New Zealand and my last in the Autumn of 2018, training Ukrainian activists in the art of undertaking investigations for farm animals.

Is there any one thing you’ve seen that really sticks in your memory? I’ve done over 100 assignments across 30 countries, so there are unfortunately many experiences that have left me with some chilling memories.

In one part of the book I talk about an incident I witnessed in Poland when a pig was dropped alive into a tank of boiling water at a slaughterhouse. Believe me when I say that is something you'll never forget. I testified in court and the company were prosecuted as a result but, of course, it did not change what happened to her.

Her demise compelled me to work harder for farm animals and inspired me to tell ‘their’ stories for the next two decades.

Who inspired you growing up? I think because of the absence of social media back in the 80’s I didn’t have a lot of access to role models from within the animal movement.

Fortunately, I learnt everything I needed from my folks and sister. They showed me the path on how to care for and stand up for animals. We had rescue animals—chickens, rabbits, ducks, turkeys, cats, and dogs—and we all turned vegan in the space of a year.

Activism coursed through our veins and we would all use it in its various forms to tell stories for animals.

You’ve recently released your first book, ‘Not as Nature Intended’. Why did you choose to write about your work? The book 'Not As Nature Intended' started out as something I thought I might do about 5 years ago, but didn't get moving on until about 3 years ago when I started jotting down some of the feelings and thoughts I was left with post-assignments.

Unlike my Instagram platform, it’s not photographic but a narrative non-fiction account on what it’s been like to infiltrate secretive animal industries and shine a light on what happens to make them work from the inside. There are plenty of stories I tell about individual animals, but I also examine the people behind the animal suffering.

To be honest, it’s been a bit of a surreal and bizarre experience; a real emotional rollercoaster. In addition to reporting on the secret workings of these industries, I’m recounting how I got to be there, what I saw, who I met, and how I was left feeling.

I worked with a British publisher (Unbound) who had a good record of bringing unusual stories into the mainstream and was also fortunate to have British TV presenter and naturalist Chris Packham write the book foreword. Ultimately, I hope it will open people’s eyes or attract the curious-minded to find out more about how animals are treated to put food on our plates, clothes on our backs, or smiles on our faces.

I’ve also written it so it could sit within an animal rights archive of sorts. I think it's important for us to archive all the elements and techniques that have gone into securing change for animals.

There will come a time when people look back at all these campaigns and be appalled that we ever had to fight so hard to end the abuse animals endure at the hands of humans, but like all social justice issues, it's important to remember and learn from hard-won battles.

Undercover investigations have been a big part of our movement and I feel it should be recorded in a format that others can access to learn from and adapt to other issue-based campaigns. This would be my contribution.

How did you find the writing process? I think I struggled initially with the writing process, particularly trying to strike the right balance on telling stories that were not overly graphic and likely to put people off reading. That said, the book is hard-hitting. It’s not something you can escape from with this subject matter. I have tried to offset the cruelty by also focusing on some of the personal challenges I faced in finding ways into animal industries and the feelings I experienced while working alongside my adversaries.

I reached out for a few pointers to help with the writing process and was grateful to have Hannah Yates (Communications Manager) from The Humane League UK share her thoughts with me. That was helpful. I also had a great structural editor at Unbound who provided me with a lot of sound advice.

I’m enjoying seeing and hearing people’s experiences of reading the book now the book’s published, especially those who have not been active for animals before and are switching to cruelty-free lifestyles.

And how do you feel now it’s out? I feel a big sense of relief now it’s in print. Firstly, because I have told all the stories I wanted to in the way I experienced them and which I felt people should hear.

While the majority of my work had been published previously in a variety of formats, many of the backstories and individual cases hadn't, so this was an opportunity for me to make sure they didn't fall in a crack and get lost.

Knowing I have told everything, so others can make more informed choices for themselves, brings this form of activism to a natural close for me.

What advice would you give for anyone looking to get into undercover investigation or animal activism? There are lots of ways that people can get active for animals, which don't require going undercover.

However, if you have fortitude, patience, and the ability to keep a secret, then you could be a good fit for an undercover investigator.

I would always advise that these types of projects are done only with established animal organisations, ideally those that have investigation units. They can offer the best training, guidance, and post-investigation support to you so that any project you’re involved with has the best chance of success. They would also advise you on the legal risks and be there to support you 24/7 while the project is live.

Inspired?

If you're inspired by Rich's work and would like to buy his book, you can find it in the links below.