BADGER baiting, damage to bat roosts and disturbance of seals feature in the latest annual review of wildlife crime in the UK.
The tenth annual Wildlife Crime Report, published by Wildlife and Countryside Link recorded 2,149 suspected incidents in 2025 and 41 convictions across the offences it covers – fewer than two convictions for every 100 reported incidents.
The report brings together figures from different sources, covering selected offences and parts of the UK. Wildlife and Countryside Link says the 2,149 incidents are therefore only a partial picture, as many crimes go undetected or unreported.
Badgers accounted for 625 suspected incidents in England and Wales, with 15 convictions. Eleven of those cases involved dogs being deliberately encouraged to attack. In one case in Caerphilly, a man was jailed for 16 weeks after badgers were filmed being stabbed, kicked and attacked by dogs. He was also banned from keeping animals for life.
Reports involving bats across England, Wales and Scotland rose from 157 to 191. More than half of the reports in 2025 involved damage to or destruction of a roost. Two convictions had been confirmed when the report was compiled, with other cases awaiting hearings.
The report also records increases in several categories of wildlife abuse reported to the RSPCA. Reports of illegal trapping more than doubled, from 188 to 415 – the highest figure recorded since 2020. Reports of intentional harm to wild animals rose from 645 to 848. Among the cases described are a hedgehog that died after a catapult attack in Newbury and a Canada goose in Maidstone that had to be euthanised after being seriously injured.
At the coast, 413 incidents of grey-seal disturbance were reported in south-west England, affecting 3,029 seals. At the Farne Islands, reports include tour boats approaching wildlife within metres, seals being frightened into the water and seabird eggs being knocked from ledges and smashed. Investigations are ongoing.
The report also describes wildlife trafficking at the UK border. During Operation Thunder, authorities seized more than 250 endangered species and illegal wildlife products. Vehicles were found carrying thousands of live tarantulas, rainbow boa constrictors and more than 100 endangered birds in poor conditions; many animals were already dead. In a separate case, 37 boxes of live eels were found in a lorry, with many dead or needing to be euthanised.
“This report exposes a horrifying catalogue of cruelty. Yet once again, fewer than two in every hundred reported wildlife crimes covered by our figures have ended in a conviction,” said Richard Benwell, chief executive of Wildlife and Countryside Link.
“When people can persecute wildlife with so little prospect of punishment, the law is failing the animals it is supposed to protect, which sends a dangerous signal that wildlife crime can be committed with impunity.
“The Government has promised much needed stronger penalties, but tougher sentences will mean little if offenders are never brought before a court. Ministers must make major wildlife crimes notifiable and give police the tools and resources they need and strengthen sentencing and enforcement. Britain’s wildlife is already fighting for survival against habitat destruction and climate change. It should not also have to endure sickening and senseless cruelty.”
The coalition is calling for at least 11 major wildlife offences to be made notifiable and included in Home Office statistics. Its other recommendations include stronger penalties and sentencing guidelines, a ban on snares, tighter hunting rules, action on catapult-related wildlife crime, and mandatory training and permits for wildlife tour operators.
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