If you have any information on any of the following crime and want to remain anonymous, contact the charity Crimestoppers online by clicking here or by calling 0800 555 111.

Badger Persecution

• Has someone’s dog been injured in a badger fight?
• Who is training their dog to attack badgers?
• Are people digging on or near a badger sett?
• Are people acting suspiciously near a badger sett with dogs?
• Has a badger sett been blocked up?
• Are there snares near a badger sett or on badger runs?
• Is there any development or tree felling taking place near a badger sett? They may not have a licence to do so.
• Is someone shooting badgers?

Bat Persecution

• Is someone doing work in a place that is known to have bats? They may not have a licence to do so.
• Is someone knocking down a building that has bats in it?
• Is someone blocking the entrance/exit to a bat roost?
• Are trees that may have bats in them being cut down?

Trade in endangered species

• Is someone advertising to sell an endangered species (either a live animal or an animal part such as horn/tusk/fur)?  They may not have the correct permits to do so.
• Is someone keeping an exotic or rare animal as a pet? They may need a licence to do so.
• Has someone you know brought a tortoise back from holiday?
• Are you a museum or stately home and has anyone made enquiries about mounted rhino heads?

Freshwater pearl mussels

• Who is taking pearls from colonies of fresh water mussels?
• Is somebody selling fresh water mussel pearls in a shop or stall?
• Is there river engineering work taking place in a river that has freshwater pearl mussels in it?  They may not have a licence to do so.
• Is someone dumping on/polluting a river which has freshwater pearl mussels in it?
• Have you ever come across broken and discarded pearl mussel shells next to a riverbank?  Where and when did this happen?

Poaching and Hare Coursing

Fish

• Where does fish poaching occur in your area?
• Have you ever been offered cheap Salmon, Sea Trout or Trout?  Who offered it to you?

Deer

• Where does deer poaching occur in your area?
• Have you come across remains of deer (innards or legs) dumped somewhere?
• Is anyone setting dogs on deer? Who is doing so?
• Is someone you know selling cheap venison?  Who is this and where did they get it from?

Hare

• Who is coursing hares with dogs?
• Have you seen anyone searching for hares to course?  What was their vehicle registration number?
• Has anyone asked you if they can use your land to hunt hares? Who are they and what was their vehicle registration number?

Raptor Persecution

• Do you know someone who sets traps to catch birds of prey? What do they do with the caught birds?
• Have you ever heard anyone talk about shooting a bird of prey?
• Do you know if someone has deliberately disturbed a nesting bird of prey?
• Do you know if someone has deliberately destroyed a bird of prey nest or its eggs or chicks?

Poisoning

• Is someone laying poisonous bait?
• Have you ever seen poisonous bait being laid down?  What type of bird or animal was intended to be poisoned?
• Are you being instructed to lay poison on behalf of someone else? Who is instructing you?
• Do you know of any new substance being used to poison wildlife?

Non native species

• Who is selling crayfish?
• Has a non-native animal escaped its cage or enclosure? Where has this happened?
• Has a person been releasing non-native animals into the wild? (crayfish/turtles/koi carp/etc).  Who is doing this and where?
• Is someone dumping Japanese knotweed or any other non-native invasive plant?

Wild bird trapping

• Do you know someone who uses nets, cages or glue to illegally capture birds (such as finches) from the wild?
• Is someone selling or in possession of birds (such as finches) that may have been taken from the wild rather than captive bred?

Wild bird eggs

• Has anyone you know got a collection of bird’s eggs that were collected after 1954?
• Have you seen someone take birds eggs from their nests?
• Do you know anyone who buys or sells wild bird eggs?

Traps and snares

• Do you know someone who uses traps illegally?
• Do you know someone who sets illegal snares?

Disturbance

• Are trees/hedgerows that may have nesting birds in them being cut down?
• Is someone damaging an active bird nest?
• Is someone trying to shoot seals?  Where is this happening? The person may not be authorised to do so.
• Is an area with great-crested newts being disturbed? Who is doing it?
• Is there development work taking place in an area with great-crested newts?  There may not be a licence to do so.
• Is someone on a jet ski deliberately disturbing or harassing dolphins? Or porpoises? Or basking sharks?

Other

• Is someone illegally shooting at wild birds or animals?  Who is doing so?
• Has someone deliberately mutilated a farm animal? (Horse or sheep etc).  Who did so and why?
• Has someone you know stolen a bird of prey from an aviary? Where are they keeping it?
• Has someone you know stolen a parrot or a macaw?  Where did they steal it from?
• Has someone you know stolen a bee hive from an apiary?  Where and when did this occur?
• Do you know anyone who has captured a wild bird or animal and been cruel to it?  What did they do?