Report rural or wildlife crime

Rural or wildlife crime can have a significant impact on rural communities, wildlife and habitats. Find out more about this type of crime and how to report it.

Rural crime

A rural crime could be theft or criminal damage to:

• equine and related assets
• agricultural plant and machinery
• farm supplies such as feed, fuel, metal or chemicals
• livestock
• rural land, including farmland

It also includes livestock worrying, which occurs when dogs attack or chase livestock on agricultural land.

Rural crimes can be reduced by the use of Watch schemes. Read more about our Farm Watch and Horse Watch schemes.

Wildlife crime

Wildlife crime is any action against the law regarding the protection of the UK’s wild animals and plants.

Examples of wildlife crime include:

• Picking, uprooting or destroying any wild plant/wildflower, or any seed or spore attached
• Hare coursing or hunting
• Fox hunting
• Poaching of wild animals such as deer or fish
• Badger persecution – including baiting, snaring, shooting, and disturbance of setts
• Bat persecution
• Egg theft or collection (wild birds)
• Bird of prey persecution – through poisoning, trapping, shooting, disturbance of nest or theft of chicks
• Trade-in ivory, tortoises, rhino horn and other protected species covered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
• Non-registration of certain birds and animals that require licensing through the Department for Environmental Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) or the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) if kept in captivity or sold

Other crimes involving animals

For road traffic incidents involving an animal, use our report a collision or incident on the road form. You can also report debris on a road.

If an animal is loose or causing an obstruction on a road or motorway and there is danger to traffic, call 999.

Refer to our guidance on how to report:

• an animal locked in a vehicle
• a horse-related incident
• dog-related incidents