What is Badger Trust doing about badger crime?
Badger Trust campaigns to protect badgers from persecution and #StopBadgerCrime
As the leading voice for badgers in England and Wales, Badger Trust campaigns to strengthen legislation, trains police forces on the ground to enhance the number of successful prosecutions, researches crime trends to inform future policy, and develops new technologies to encourage more public reporting.
Asking for tougher policy
Badger protection can only be as successful as the laws which govern it. That is why Badger Trust is campaigning to strengthen pre-existing badger protection legislation (the Protection of Badgers Act) and calling on the government to include badger crime in new policies which could offer further protections to wildlife and young people.
PBA30 campaign
According to a YouGov survey, conducted by Badger Trust in 2022, 64% of participants (a representative sample of English adults) were unaware that badgers were even protected by law. This, combined with a 36% rise in badger persecution crime in 2020 shows that the current legislation is not working. ​Now in its 30th year, the Protection of Badgers Act needs to be updated to align with the current Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 so that it can best reflect Britain’s world-leading stance on animal welfare.
At present, someone convicted of badger baiting could be sentenced to up to five years in prison for acts against welfare of the dogs involved, but only up to six months for cruelty to the badgers. Under these crimes, badgers face painful, prolonged and horrific deaths. The lack of strength of prosecution in the Protection of Badgers Act is out of date with the government's move to recognise animal welfare and animal sentience across more species.
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Furthermore, although Badger Crime is recognised as a Wildlife Crime Priority, crimes against badgers do not carry ‘notifiable status’. This means that when badger crime is reported to the police, the crime is not specifically listed as badger crime in the national police database. Without notifiable status, it is not possible to assess the true picture of national badger crime as it is not possible to accrue accurate national statistics.
Badger Trust is calling on the government to bring sentencing under the PBA up to date. There is clear inequality and unfairness in current legislation, and Badger Trust wants to see consistency in how the law protects different animals. Badgers deserve to be recognised as sentient beings in need of maximum welfare protection in line with domestic animals. Six months is no deterrent. Five years is what is needed.
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Together we call on the government to:
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Extend the maximum sentence for convictions under the Protection of Badgers Act (1992) from six months to five years, bringing it into line with Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021. This means offenders would be faced with a five-year sentence for the abuse of a badger, in the same way as they would for the abuse of a dog used in the same crime.
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Make badger persecution notifiable to the Home Office so that the real level of crime can be accurately assessed, reported on, and tackled. At present, wildlife crimes are not recorded in this way and there are no official national statistics. Increasing sentencing would, by default, make a crime under the Protection of Badgers Act (1992) a notifiable offence.
Online Safety Bill
As part of Badger Trust’s campaign to Stop Badger Crime, Badger Trust submitted a briefing to the Parliamentary Committee reviewing the Online Safety Bill, a bill proposal which seeks to make online spaces safer for young and vulnerable people. The Bill, proposed in 2022, aims to safeguard vulnerable internet users (particularly children and young people) to better protect them from illegal and harmful content shared online. Yet the proposal did not include animal cruelty. Badger Trust proposed the Bill should also include animal cruelty and wildlife crime as both illegal and harmful content.
Badger Trust’s briefing successfully achieved a specific mention of badger baiting in the Committee debate about the rising trend in wildlife crime appearing in online spaces and the dangers this brings to internet users. So far, the Bill has not included wildlife crime, so the campaign continues, as does Badger Trust’s research into this emerging issue.
Badger Trust Police Training
Since 2017, Badger Trust has successfully trained 41 police forces across England and Wales to help them secure successful prosecutions under the Protection of Badgers Act. Badger Trust and Naturewatch Foundation have also produced a publication, ‘The Persecution of Badgers: A Guide for Investigators in England and Wales’​ which is widely used by police forces as the principal text for policing incidents of badger crime in England and Wales.
The Reporting Centre
Badger persecution remains a widespread and nationwide issue, and Badger Trust relies on your reports to keep track of potential incidents to ensure police forces are provided with the correct information to pursue possible cases of badger-related crime. The online Reporting Centre is a valuable resource for members of the public concerned about badger crime.
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The Badger Watch App
The Badger Watch app has been developed as a means to easily Recognise, Record and Report instances of badger crime when out in the field. This can save crucial time, especially when witnessing crime as it occurs. Users are guided through signs of badger activity, illegal human activity, how to collect evidence safely and accurately, and how to report it to Badger Trust and the authorities. Learn more about the Badger Watch App.
Monitoring National Trends in Badger Crime
Badger Trust has a dedicated team that monitors, responds to, and tracks badger-related wildlife crime across England and Wales. Badger Trust monitors reports incoming from the Online Reporting Centre and the Badger Watch App to track persecution. Badger Trust also collates and analyses these records to identify key trends in badger crime throughout the two nations. The police are unable to capture national statistics for badger crime data, as badger crime does not carry notifiable status. Data collected by Badger Trust helps to keep badger crime listed as a UK Wildlife Crime Priority by giving a conservative estimate of badger crime rates in England and Wales.
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Badger Trust is also a partner to the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) Badger Persecution Priority Delivery Group, and a contributor to the Annual UK Wildlife Crime Report published by the Wildlife and Countryside Link, which helps to disseminate training and research to key stakeholders in the fight to stop badger crime.
Badger Crime Education and Outreach
A recent YouGov poll revealed that 64% of British adults were either unaware or unsure that badgers were protected by law. Badger Trust provides resources and delivers educational outreach sessions to rural colleges to promote the 3R principle to Recognise, Record, and Report badger crime. Badger Trust also provides a platform to young emerging voices concerned by badger crime by sharing their views and campaign activities. One example is the creative works of media students from The University of South Wales who worked with Rob Taylor, Wales Rural and Wildlife Crime Coordinator, to explore the issue of badger baiting, a UK wildlife crime priority. The students created two powerful short films about badger baiting, the first from the badger’s point of view, and the second from the dog’s point of view, both of whom are victims of cruelty.
We train police forces and local badger groups to tackle badger persecution crimes.
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Our supporters and groups are the backbone of badger protection in this country.
Make a difference to badgers near you.
Volunteer with your local affiliated badger group and help Stop Badger Crime.
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Remember the three Rs.
Recognise, Record and Report badger crime to help investigators bring offenders to justice.
