EAGLED-EYED residents are being urged to help clampdown on wildlife crime in Warwickshire.
The newly-launched Warwickshire Wildlife Watcher scheme aims to encourage people to report the likes of hare coursing, poaching, and incidents of animal cruelty. Other offences linked to such crimes include, harassment, anti-social and threatening behaviour by the perpetrators.
Currently wildlife crime is acknowledged as being significantly under-reported, both in Warwickshire and nationally, and it is hoped the scheme will help bring more of the culprits to justice.
It will give people the opportunity to become ‘Wildlife Watchers’ to increase their knowledge and understanding of such crime, what to look out for and how to report it.
The scheme brings together a wide range of organisations including Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, Warwickshire Police, the Angling Trust, Environment Agency, Warwickshire County Council Country Parks, Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Tame Valley Wetland Scheme.
As well as promoting the use of 101 to report incidents to the police, there will also be a reporting page on the Warwickshire Rural Watch website www.warwickshireruralwatch.co.uk and a dedicated Facebook page. Signs, posters and flyers have also been produced with information about wildlife crime signposting people to the links.
