Wildlife Crime in Scotland 2022

Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – Special Investigation Unit

The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Scottish SPCA) and their Special Investigations Unit (SIU) can lead or support certain wildlife crime investigations in Scotland. Powers are granted to suitably trained staff by Scottish Ministers under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.

Scottish SPCA inspectors deal with routine domestic and wildlife welfare cases. The SIU has a slightly different remit dealing with cases which are linked to illegal activities. The SIU deals with both wildlife incidents and incidents involving domestic animals such as dogfighting and the puppy trade, and consists of five inspectors and one intelligence manager.

The SIU receives information (and complaints) from two main sources – the Scottish SPCA animal helpline and other agencies through intelligence logs and reports.

The Scottish SPCA’s animal helpline received over 262,000 calls between April 2021 and March 2022 with an increase of 17% in calls from the public compared to the previous year. Many calls related to the low welfare puppy trade which is not included within wildlife crime.

The SIU estimate that between April 2021 and March 2022 they received:

• 277 pieces of information for consideration from the Scottish SPCA helpline
• 221 pieces of information from other sources.

Upon investigation, some pieces of information were identified as not criminal,  not involving wildlife, or duplicates relating to the same incident.

SIU identified 71 pieces of information as relating to wildlife crimes priorities – 31 of these related to badgers; and 16 to raptor persecution. In addition, there were 20 incidents  related to trapping or snaring investigated solely by SIU making a total of 91 incidents investigated solely by SIU, and a further 52 Police Scotland-led investigations assisted by SIU, as shown in Figure 12, below.

Figure 12: There were 143 Wildlife crime investigations dealt with by SIU in 2021-22, of which 52 were SIU assisting Police Scotland

Wildlife crime investigations involving SIU, 2017-18 to 2021-22

There were no cases submitted to COPFS by SIU in 2021-22.

Further detail: on wildlife crime investigations dealt with by SIU in recent years is provided in tables 17 and 18 of the Tables supporting document.