Wildlife crimes

How to protect your animals and report wildlife crime

Wildlife crime covers many areas of the law including disturbing wild birds and bats and poisoning animals, to the more organised crimes of badger baiting and the international trade in endangered species.

There are around 150 different laws designed to protect wildlife in the UK and many more global controls that we have adopted.

Reporting incidents

If you believe an animal, wild or domestic, is or has been mistreated, in the first instance call the RSPCA or call Kent Police on 101.

To report a wildlife crime, call Kent Police on 101 or 999 if a crime is in progress or you see something suspicious.

When reporting a wildlife crime consider these points:

• Is the suspect (s) alone or in a group?
• Are they trespassing?
• Do they have equipment, dogs or firearms with them?
• Where are they going and where have they been?
• What do they look like?
• Have they any vehicles? What are the number plates and vehicle models?
• Can you safely get a photograph?

These types of crime can take place in rural communities and we need your help to catch those involved in wildlife crime.

Below is some guidance on what to look out for and how you can protect your property. 

Endangered Species and Conservation

In the UK, there are laws in place to protect wildlife and important habitats and sites.

Crimes against protected species (e.g. birds or plants) include killing or taking them from the wild, collecting their eggs or skins for personal collections, trading in them, and taxidermy offences. People destroying nests and breeding sites, bat roosts and other protected habitats can also be committing offences.

Contact Kent Police, Natural England or the Kent Wildlife Trust if you think an offence has been or is about to be committed.

Cruelty to wildlife species

Laws are in place to protect particular species such as badgers and deer, making it an offence to cause them unnecessary suffering by certain acts.

Most hunts comply with the law but if you become aware of hunts that pursue live animals, please contact Kent Police.

It is an offence for a person to hunt with a dog unless exempt. The exemptions are very closely defined. The Hunting Act 2004 makes it clear that a person will be hunting a wild mammal with a dog if he engages alone or participates with others in the pursuit of a wild mammal, and a dog is employed in that pursuit, whether or not in their direct control.

Hare coursing

Illegal since 2004, hare coursing tends to start after harvest, around the end of August/beginning of September, and take place at dawn or dusk.

Signs to look out for are a group of vehicles parked in a rural area (by a gateway to farmland, on a grass verge, on a farm track) which may show evidence of dogs inside (muddy paw prints and dog hair for example.)

Poaching

Poaching is illegal - hunting or fishing. It may be illegal because:

• the game or fish is not in season
• the poacher does not have a licence
• the hunter used an illegal weapon for that animal
• the animal or plant is on restricted land
• the right to hunt this animal is claimed by somebody
• the means used are illegal (e.g. baiting)
• the animal or fish is protected by law or has been listed as an endangered animal.

Horse crime

There are several things you can do to make your horse easily-identifiable, should it be stolen or lost:

• Take colour photographs of your animal in the winter and again in the summer, from both sides, head on and tail.
• Take close up photos of distinctive marks or scars and the 'chestnuts'.
• Get your horse freezemarked or have a microchip implanted.
• Make sure you have a passport for your horse - this is a legal requirement.
• Join your local Horse Watch Scheme. 

Livestock theft

• Check your livestock regularly. If your livestock are making more noise than usual, take a look to see if anyone is in the field with them or has disturbed them.
• Check boundary fencing/hedging and regularly check fields where animals are kept to ensure fences are not damaged or broken.
• Use eartags, horn brands, freeze brand marking or tattooing to make animals more easily identifiable.

Heritage crime

Many land owners have ancient monuments and archaeological areas within or near to their property.

Please report suspected theft or criminal damage involving a scheduled monument or archaeological area to Kent Police - 101 or 999 if the crime is in progress. Please get as many details of the offenders and any vehicles as possible.