Wildlife Conservation

Wildlife Crime in the UK: Scale and Welfare Impact

Wildlife crime including persecution of raptors, badger baiting, poaching, and wildlife trafficking causes significant welfare harm and undermines conservation efforts.

Key Facts

The RSPB records hundreds of confirmed wildlife crime incidents annually in the UK
Raptor persecution including poisoning, shooting and trapping remains widespread on grouse moors
Badger baiting involves dogs attacking badgers in their setts, causing severe injuries
Wildlife trafficking brings illegally caught animals through UK ports
Wildlife crime rarely results in prosecution due to enforcement capacity limits

Welfare Considerations

Wildlife crime causes suffering proportional to both the method and the scale. Poisoned raptors die slowly from convulsions and organ failure. Badgers in baiting events suffer prolonged attacks and severe bite injuries. Illegally traded wild animals endure capture, transport, and captivity conditions that cause extreme stress and high mortality. The deterrent effect of prosecution is limited by low detection rates and inadequate penalties in the UK.

What You Can Do

Report suspected wildlife crime to the police wildlife crime unit and RSPB
Support Operation Owl and RSPB Investigations team campaigns
Oppose driven grouse shooting unless meaningful reform of wildlife crime is achieved
Donate to badger protection and anti-baiting patrols
Advocate for increased wildlife crime prosecution and penalty reform