What is a Wildlife Crime?
In general, wildlife crime is any action which contravenes current legislation governing the protection of the UK’s wild animals and plants and includes:
- Hare Coursing
- Deer poaching
- Fish poaching
- Badger persecution – including baiting, snaring, shooting, and disturbance of setts
- Bat persecution
- Egg theft/collection
- Bird of Prey persecution – through poisoning, trapping, shooting, disturbance of nest and/or theft of chicks
- The trade in ivory, tortoises, rhino horn and other protected species covered by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) including caviar, Traditional Chinese Medicines, and orchids)
- Non registration of certain birds and animals that require licensing through DEFRA/Animal Health if kept in captivity or sold
- Cruelty to wildlife
- Theft or disturbance of wild animals, plants or their habitat.
- Introduction of invasive species, such as the dumping of unwanted non-native species, plants or animals, into the environment.