Chris Packham says it is time to "end... completely savage" hunting with dogs in Northern Ireland.
It comes as the public are being asked to take part in a second public consultation about Alliance MLA John Blair's Bill which proposes to ban the so-called bloodsport.
In an exclusive interview with Belfast Live about the issue, the TV star, naturalist and anti cruelty campaigner described those hunting down mammals like foxes and stags with packs of baying hounds which are then set on the exhausted creatures as "entitled lunatics". And said the "idea" they can "ride around trashing the countryside and murdering wildlife... is beyond comprehension".
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Chris added: "It's time to end it. It's a completely savage anachronism that has no place in the 21 century and certainly not in a civilised country like Northern Ireland.
"The idea that a bunch of entitled lunatics can ride around trashing the countryside and murdering wildlife... is beyond comprehension.
"It's got to stop and I think it's got to stop symbolically. People like myself are constantly trying to say to people we need preserve wildlife and yet we've got these other people who are just killing it for fun - it doesn't add up. Take the cruelty away - it still doesn't add up.
"We can't waste wildlife for people that want to tear it to pieces with dogs - it's bonkers, absolutely bonkers."
Alliance Party MLA John Blair hopes to introduce a Private Members Bill to the Northern Ireland Assembly to ban the hunting of wild mammals with dogs during his term.
His previous Bill, introduced in 2021, was defeated at the second stage when both the DUP and Sinn Fein voted against it. Ahead of introducing the new Bill, he is asking the public for their views through a public consultation which you can take part in here.
Mr Blair told Belfast Live: "I've been pleased with the amount of contact I have had since the consultation was launched, including people from the rural areas pointing out the problems they have with hunts on their land.
"In addition to the total opposition of killing a wild mammal and calling it sport - there are people experiencing problems with trespassing across their land, damaging property, obstruction of roads, obstruction of laneways."
The South Antrim MLA says "the vast majority" of people are "positive to what I am trying to do - I would say 80% are in favour of introducing the Bill".
The USPCA and League Against Cruel Sports are supporting the Bill because of its impact on the hunted animals as well as the dogs involved - while the Countryside Alliance, which campaigns for hunting with hounds and provides its paying members with insurance for hunting, opposes it on behalf of people who enjoy hunting with dogs.
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