11.09.25
I am excited to announce the launch of Naturewatch Foundation’s ‘Policing Wildlife Crime: Make Wildlife Count’ report – and the findings should be a wake-up call for everyone who cares about animals and the environment, the police who are tasked with effectively protecting our wildlife and those who can amend or create legislation.
Our report reveals how inconsistent crime recording systems across police forces are leaving British wildlife exposed and unprotected. From illegal hunting and poaching to cruel traps and habitat destruction, countless crimes are going unrecorded, ineffectively investigated and those who offend go unpunished.
The report highlights a disturbing pattern: wildlife crime is treated as a low priority, despite the significant impact it has on biodiversity, public safety, and the rule of law. Many police forces lack the training, resources, and understanding needed to respond effectively. Inconsistent crime recording also means we still do not know the true scale of the problem, and if we cannot count it, we cannot combat it.
Informed by Freedom of Information requests to police forces and surveys with frontline officers, our report exposes how the current system is failing to protect wild animals – and outlines simple recommendations and practical steps to fix it.
If we are serious about tackling the biodiversity crisis and building a society that respects all life, wildlife crime must be taken seriously at every level of policing and government.
Read the full ‘Policing Wildlife Crime: Make Wildlife Count’ report to understand what is going wrong, and how we can put it right.
Wildlife cannot speak for itself. It is time we become a voice for the voiceless.
