What is wildlife crime?
Wildlife crime is any illegal activity that harms or exploits the UK’s wild animals and plants.
It can cause pain and suffering to animals. It can push species closer to extinction. It can be linked to other serious crimes. This includes firearms offences and organised crime.
Wildlife law is complicated and it can be hard to know whether something is a crime and whether, or when, to involve the police. The information below should be able to help you with that.
What is a wildlife crime?
- poaching (illegal capturing or killing of animals without permission)
- coursing (chasing animals such as hares with dogs)
- offences against badgers, including harming them, disturbing their setts, and activities like snaring, lamping, or baiting
- offences against bats, including harming them, disturbing or damaging roosts, blocking access, and possessing or trading bats
- offences against birds, including killing, injuring or taking a wild bird without a licence
- egg theft and collection
- collection of or trade in protected species and animal products
- not registering animals which require a licence
- taking protected plants
- use of poisons, snares or explosives to kill or injure animals
- animal cruelty
- hunting with dogs
- introducing invasive species
- killing or capturing, damaging or destroying the habitat of any protected animal
- preventing a wild animal from escaping from somewhere using human intervention
- illegal fishing
- hitting a wild animal with your vehicle deliberately
- injuring a wild animal with your vehicle and leaving it to suffer
We have more guidance to help you if you have hit an animal with your vehicle. Visit our collisions with animals page for information on what you should do.
What you can do
If you think a crime has happened:
- don’t disturb the scene
- don't touch or move dead animals or birds. If they've been poisoned, that poison could still harm you, and any disease they were carrying could pose a health risk. Some dead animals are protected species, so picking one up could be against the law
- record as many details as you can, including the date, time, location (ideally pinpointed using what3words), and details of anyone involved
- if possible, take photos or video of the scene
- write down any registration numbers of any vehicles involved
- don’t put yourself at risk and don’t approach anyone, contact us
We have specially trained wildlife officers who can help. We also work with partner agencies to investigate, prevent and tackle wildlife crime.
Report it
Call 999 in emergency situations like these:
- there is an immediate danger to life
- someone is using violence or is threatening to be violent
- a wildlife crime is happening right now and the suspect is still at the scene
If you have a hearing or speech impairment, use our textphone service 18000 or text us on 999 if you’ve pre-registered with the emergencySMS service.
If you think a wildlife crime has been committed but isn’t happening now, you can report it to us online.
We’d rather you contacted us and we investigate, than not hear from you.
You can also report wildlife crime anonymously to Crimestoppers.
Other crimes involving animals
We work with the RSPCA to investigate animal cruelty. To report cruelty, neglect or abuse, you can go to the RSPCA's website.
You can find out more about crimes involving animals on our animal crime page. This includes guidance on livestock theft and incidents involving dogs.