Alarming increase in crimes against badgers: A disturbing trend in the ongoing assault on nature
- Badger Trust Staff Team
- Nov 5, 2024
- 3 min read
Annual report reveals that crimes against badgers and other wildlife rise, wildlife crime units are broken up, and sentences remain low.
Reported crimes against badgers rose another 6% in 2023. Published as part of the Wildlife and Countryside Link’s annual report, wildlife crime is on the rise, deprioritised and grossly under-reported.
At the same time, police wildlife crime units are under intense pressure, with units broken up or staff reduced. The report also reveals that crimes against wild animals are rarely prosecuted, and sentences remain very low.
Wildlife crime on the rise
Craig Fellowes CBE, Badger Trust’s Wildlife Crime and Training Officer, said:
“Crime against badgers remains rampant — whether badger baiting by criminal gangs, sett blocking by hunts, or developers ignoring the Protection of Badgers Act.
These crimes aren’t always recorded, and the sentencing for such crimes is very low. This disparity needs to change and be brought into line with crimes against domestic animals.
The police work very hard in many areas, but the wildlife crime units are under-resourced and undervalued. They need our support to catch and prosecute these criminals, so please report all wildlife crimes you see.”
Assault on Nature
Peter Hambly, Chief Executive of Badger Trust, added:
“Wildlife Crime is a key part of the assault on nature that continues unabated. We must stop these criminals as they continue to wipe wildlife from our countryside.
Badgers and other animals must be given their true value to our country and supporting ecosystems, so need proper protection from the people who seek to hurt and kill them.
Crimes against nature must be treated as what they are — crimes against us all. For this reason, we need to put crimes against wild animals on par with those against domestic animals and introduce tougher sentences as a deterrent, a crucial step in the fight against wildlife crime.
He continued,
“The Defra Secretary of State Steve Reed MP has been in Colombia representing the UK at a UN Nature Conference. Now, he needs to focus on properly protecting nature in his own backyard.
Reed recently said, ‘Parents now worry their children and grandchildren may never experience the beauty of the natural world as previous generations have.’ We agree, and he can start by putting proper protections in place for wild animals and enforcing them in this country. The assault on nature has to end now.”
Further information:
Read ‘Wildlife Crime in 2023: A report on the scale of wildlife crime in England and Wales’:
Direct link to report here: LINK to WCL page
The annual wildlife crime report ‘Wildlife Crime: No minor offence’ is produced by Wildlife and Countryside Link and Wales Environment Link members. The report compiles statistics, insight and commentary from key wildlife organisations and covers a range of wildlife.
The report reveals that wildlife crime reports in England and Wales remain alarmingly high, with 4,735 incidents documented in 2023, yet convictions have reached a record low of 456. Badger crime incidents increased by 6% in 2023, with sett interference being the most common type of crime, accounting for 636 incidents.
The report emphasises the urgent need for government action to enhance enforcement and regulatory compliance concerning badger setts in order to effectively protect natural habitats, particularly regarding hunting activities and development projects, which frequently overlook badger protection regulations and result in habitat damage.
Take Action: Report badger crime now
Download the FREE Badger Watch App
The Badger Watch App is a user-friendly, one-stop-shop of information on the law and what to do when witnessing badger crime, all quickly accessible on your phone.
Remember the three Rs: Recognise, Record Report
Badger Trust encourages anyone who witnesses badger persecution in person or online to remember the Three Rs: Recognise, Record and Report
And for badger crime shared online, please Don’t repost it, Report it.
