Wildlife crime
Wildlife crime is any action that harms wild animals or plants that are protected by law. This can include:
- trapping wild animals illegally
- intentionally hurting or injuring wildlife
- hare coursing and poaching deer or fish
- hunting wild mammals
- persecuting badgers through baiting, shooting, snaring, poisoning or disturbing their setts
- harming or disturbing bats
- persecuting birds of prey through poisoning, trapping, shooting, stealing eggs or chicks, or disturbing nests
- trading ivory, tortoises or other protected species covered by Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITIES)
- failing to register animals that need a licence through DEFRA or the Animal and Plant Health Agency
Road traffic incidents involving wild animals should be reported to Kent Police. If someone is hurt or the animal is in the road, call 999. If there is no danger, call 101.
Domestic animals are not protected by this law unless a dog is being used to hunt mammals. You can report this to the RSPCA.
Wildlife crime officers
Wildlife crime is usually investigated by the police, and forces usually have an appointed wildlife crime officer. You can report wildlife crime to Kent Police.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy for 2022-2025 outlines the priorities. The priorities are:
- badger persecution
- bat persecution
- CITES issues
- freshwater pear mussel (FWPM)
- poaching
- raptor persecution
- cyber-enabled wildlife crime
More details can be found on the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) website.
Injured wildlife
If you find an injured or ill animal, contact a wildlife rescue charity for advice. Try not to handle the animal too much and always put your safety first, especially if tending to an animal at the roadside.
Many wildlife rescue charities can help, including: