Wildlife - The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

?

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

  • Rehabilitation: 'the treatment and temporary care of injured, diseased, or displaced indigenous animals, and the subsequent release of healthy animals to appropriate habitats in the wild'
1 of 12

Why rescue?

  • provide care and improve welfare of the animal
  • contribute to the conservation of some species
  • fulfil public demand
  • provides education opportunity to learn about species
  • legal obligations
    • veterinary practices must treat wildlife in emergency (to prevent further suffering)
2 of 12

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

  • complies with EU Directive 2009/47/EC (wild birds)
  • protects all wild birds from killing/harm
  • some mammals, reptiles, amphibians and inverts are protected
  • prevents non-natives being released
  • protects habitats
3 of 12

Birds

  • Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (WCA)
    • covers all naturally occurring wild birds
    • it is illegal to kill, take, or injure any wild bird
    • it is illegal to take or damage nests or remove eggs
    • it is illegal to have any live or dead birds or eggs in your possession
  • need a license for all schedules
4 of 12

Exceptions

  • Pest species (under license)
    • (birds) authorised
      • by land owner
      • local authority
      • England, Scotland or Wales conservation body
      • Environmental Agency, water undertaker or sewerage undertaker
      • only use to preserve public health and safety
      • cannot use to kill birds that are damaging your property or are a nuisance
    • birds you can catch alive, kill or take or destroy eggs
      • crows, collared doves, lesser black-backed gulls, canada geese, monk parakeets rooks, jays, jackdaws, feral pigeons, woodpigeons
      • cannot take or kill herring gulls but can take, damage or destroy their nests
  • incidental and unavoidable (proof required)
  • preserve public (or air) safety, prevent disease spread (not Schedule 1)
  • Birds identified on Schedules
  • 'taking' to rehabilitate
  • killing if beyond recovery or disabled (Schedule 4 register)
5 of 12

Schedule 1 Summary

  • high level protection
  • cannot intentionally or recklessly disturb at, on or near an 'active' nest
  • examples: avocet, bee-eater, honey buzzard, buzzard, chough, golden eagle, purple heron, red kite, snowy owl, spoonbill
6 of 12

Schedule 2 Summary

  • protected during 'close season'/breeding season
    • most February 11th to August 31st
    • ducks and geese February 21st to 31st August
  • examples: snipe, woodcock, coot, canada goose, moorhen

 

7 of 12

Schedule 3 Summary

  • Part 1
    • birds which can be sold alive if bred in captivity
    • must be ringed
    • examples: bullfinch, barn owl, dunnock, jackdaw
  • Part 2
    • can be sold dead
  • Part 3
    • can be sold dead at certain times of year (not breeding/'close' season)
    • examples: coot, mallard, snipe, woodcock
8 of 12

Schedule 4 Summary

  • must be ringed and registered if in captivity
  • examples: red kite, golden eagle, white-tailed eagle, fish eagle, marsh harrier, lesser kestrel, osprey
9 of 12

Schedule 5 Summary: Lists Protected Species

  • prevents killing, taking, possession, disturbing or selling of some mammals, reptiles, invertebrates and amphibians
    • examples: pine marten (Martes martes), otter (Lutra lutra), slow worm (Anguis fragilis), adder (Vipera berus), natterjack toad (Bufo calamita), smooth newt (Triturus vulgaris), adonis blue butterfly (Lysandra bellargus), swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon), all bats, all cetaceans
10 of 12

Schedule 6 Summary: Lists species protected from b

  • protected from self-locking snares, bows, crossbows, explosives, or live decoys, posions
  • examples: bottlenose dolphin, harbour porpoise, west European hedgehog, pipistrele bat, lesser horseshoe bat, noctule bat, wild cat, otter, red squirrel, pine marten, badgers, shrews
11 of 12

Schedule 9 Summary: non-natives already establishe

  • it is illegal to keep or release mink, grey squirrel, rabbits (except European rabbits) without a license
12 of 12

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Other resources:

See all Other resources »See all Animal Management resources »