Wildlife crime - poisoning, trapping, shooting, and collection of protected species - causes direct welfare harm and population-level damage to vulnerable species.
Wildlife crime welfare harm spans individual animals suffering through poisoning (prolonged, painful death), trapping, and shooting, to population-level welfare impacts on recovering species. Hen harriers poisoned on grouse moors represent both direct welfare harm to individuals and ongoing suppression of a recovering population. Enforcement capacity is limited relative to the scale of wildlife crime. Public reporting through the RSPB and police wildlife crime officers is essential for prosecution. Tackling wildlife crime requires both enforcement and addressing the underlying drivers - particularly the intensive grouse moor management practices that create incentives for raptor persecution.