Wildlife Crime on the up in Britain

The number of wildlife crimes more than doubled in the past year, from 2,177 to 5,854, according to the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU).

Between February and July this year, the NWCU recorded 241 incidents of badger persecution — nearing the total for 2008, which was 280.

Head of the NWCU Detective Inspector Brian Stuart told Shooting Times that cases are now being reported at a rate of 120 a week: “The NWCU has seen a significant rise in incidents compared with last year. A major factor in this increase is the better recording practices within the police service. That said, there is anecdotal evidence that wildlife crime is on the increase, particularly in those areas that have historically reported and recorded wildlife crime consistently.”