Wildlife crime
Just as crimes are committed against people they can also be committed against wildlife. Many wildlife species are protected by law, as are the habitats they live in.
Some wildlife crimes involve deliberate cruelty or persecution but others are done for money or personal gain, or out of ignorance. Examples of wildlife crime include:
- cruelty to and persecution of wild animals, such as badger baiting or poisoning wild birds
- crimes involving wildlife species that are endangered or legally protected, such as disturbing bat roosts or collecting wild bird eggs
- illegal trade in endangered or protected species, such as bushmeat, wild birds, reptiles or the skins or pelts of wild animals
Lambeth Council works with a number of organisations to prevent, detect and report wildlife crime in the borough, and to ensure that any persons benefiting from wildlife crime are identified and prosecuted.
The Metropolitan Police, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and government agencies all work with Lambeth Council to investigate wildlife crimes, as well as providing advice to help prevent wildlife being harmed.
Reporting wildlife crime
If you wish to report a wildlife crime in Lambeth, or are concerned that a wild animal is at risk of persecution or cruelty, you can contact us in complete confidence by telephone on 020 7926 9000 or email parks@lambeth.gov.uk.
You can also report a wildlife crime directly to the Metropolitan Police Wildlife Crime Unit on 020 7230 8898 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Useful links
You can find out more about wildlife crime and what we can do to prevent it by clicking on the following links.