Wildlife and Countryside Link has today released its annual Wildlife Crime Report, highlighting that only 2% of reported wildlife crimes in 2024 resulted in a conviction (excluding fisheries). Read the full report here.
The report also reveals startling new statistics on the strong connection between wildlife crime and other serious and violent crimes against people – including criminal damage, domestic violence, burglary and drug crimes.
Key findings from the 2024 Wildlife Crime Report include:
- Nearly 2,000 wildlife crime incidents were reported in 2024 – but only 43 convictions were secured (excluding fisheries). Though this is a rise from 2023, convictions remain too low to be an effective deterrent (see the data tables in notes to editors)
- A record low level of hunting convictions since 2017 – just 14 convictions
- New National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) analysis of data on 128 wildlife criminals also reveals strong connections between crime towards animals and violent crimes towards people. With particularly strong connections to poaching, hare coursing and badger crimes.
- Wildlife criminals are most commonly associated with violent offences and theft/criminal damage (59% and 58% respectively). This rises steeply for poaching and hare coursing offenders (72% and 78%) and badger crime offenders (67% and 62%).
- The association with organised acquisitive crime (including burglary and rogue trader related fraud) is also strongest in poaching and hare coursing offenders.
- Drug criminality is most strongly associated with badger crime offenders (48%)
- There is a link to domestic violence and abuse for 27% of all wildlife crime offenders, but this is strongest in poaching and hare coursing offenders (34%)
- Just 18% of all wildlife crime offenders did not have a connection to any other crime besides their conviction
