Operation Meles

This is a UK wide programme, initiated by Scottish Badgers and with the support of Badgers Trust, with the aim of achieving consistency in recording and reporting crime against badgers. Last year 161 English cases were reported to the National Wildlife Crime Unit, and 73 from Scotland but only 5 from Wales. This is massively disproportionate considering the six-to one ratio between the populations. Badger crime such as baiting, sett digging and 'lamping' is still a major problem, particularly in northern England. Usually the first people on the scene of a potential crime are early morning dog walkers, many of whom aren't aware that they have discovered a crime scene. Operation Meles hopes to raise public awareness and get people to be more proactive by ringing Crimestoppers (anonymously if desired) or their local police station (most areas now have a Wildlife Crime Officer to monitor such incidents). The official line is that without a body of verifitable fact (i.e. incidents recorded on a database) it will be hard to achieve the essential goal of making wildlife crime officially recordable, thus giving the police more inducement to act. I've already distributed a few of these posters to local vets, Nature Reserves, wildlife hides and shops. Please be aware and help if you can. Posters can be obtained from the Badger Trust office, telephone 0845 8287878.

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