Wildlife Crime Against Raptors: Enforcement and Welfare

Wildlife crime targeting raptors including poisoning, trapping, and shooting causes significant welfare harm and is a persistent problem on some managed shooting estates.

Key Facts

Over 1,000 confirmed raptor persecution incidents were recorded in the UK between 2015 and 2023
Poisoned baits using carbofuran and other pesticides cause prolonged, painful deaths
Illegal pole traps catch raptors by the feet causing suffering before death or discovery
Satellite-tagged raptors regularly disappear in suspicious circumstances on grouse moors
The National Wildlife Crime Unit coordinates enforcement with police forces across Britain

Welfare Considerations

Raptor persecution involves deliberate infliction of severe suffering on legally protected species. Poisoned bait causes extended suffering before death from respiratory failure or haemorrhage depending on the substance used. Pole traps leave birds to hang by captured limbs, causing injury, exhaustion, and death over hours or days. The persistence of this crime despite legal protection reflects economic incentives associated with gamebird shooting and the challenges of enforcement in remote upland areas. Welfare advocacy requires both stronger legal deterrents and changes to the economic incentives that drive persecution.

What You Can Do

Report suspected raptor persecution to the RSPB and local police immediately
Support the Raptor Persecution UK blog and legal actions targeting wildlife crime
Advocate for vicarious liability legislation making land managers responsible for crimes on their land
Choose game meat only from estates that can demonstrate raptor monitoring without suspicious losses
Donate to legal challenge funds pursuing enforcement against wildlife crime