Wildlife

Wildlife Crime and Welfare Impacts

Wildlife crime including illegal killing, trapping, and trade causes direct welfare harm to millions of individual animals while threatening population conservation.

Key Facts

Wildlife crime is estimated to be worth 20 billion dollars annually globally
Raptor persecution including poisoning and shooting continues in UK uplands
Illegal badger baiting involves dogs attacking badgers in prolonged confrontations
Wildlife trafficking often involves extreme mortality rates during transport
Traditional medicine drives demand for tiger bones, bear bile, and rhinoceros horn

Welfare Considerations

Wildlife crime inflicts extreme suffering including slow deaths from poisoning, prolonged injury from illegal traps, and the terror and physical trauma of persecution. The scale of global wildlife trafficking means millions of animals die in transit. Enforcement, reducing demand through education, and alternative livelihood programmes are the priority interventions to reduce welfare harm from wildlife crime.

What You Can Do

Report suspected wildlife crime to police or RSPB investigations team
Support organisations including the RSPB Wildlife Crime Unit
Choose traditional medicine products that do not contain wildlife derivatives
Avoid purchasing wildlife products including ivory, tortoiseshell, and certain folk remedies
Engage with public awareness campaigns about wildlife crime impacts