Types of WildLIFE Crime
Wildlife crime takes many forms – each with a direct role in the decline of protected species, ecosystem stability and legal order. These activities are widespread across Europe, the Caucasus, and North Africa, and they continue to affect biodiversity, public health and security.
Illegal Killing & Shooting
Waterbirds and seabirds
Group most affected by illegal killing.
Raptors
Shot due to predation of gamebirds or racing pigeons.
Mammalian predators
Lynx, bears, wolves intentionally targeted for trophies or due to their perceived threat to livestock or game species.
Group most affected by illegal killing
Population declines caused from extensive targeting.
Pigeons/doves and passerines
Common victims of shooting.
Why it matters
Over 25 million birds are killed illegally each year in the Mediterranean.
Another 2 million across Northern & Central Europe and the Caucasus.
Enforcement rarely leads to prosecution.
Long-lived species with slow reproduction rates are hit hardest - making recovery unlikely.
Poisoning
Species affected:
Griffon Vulture
Dozens may die from a single poisoned carcass due to their social nature
Bearded, Cinereous and Egyptian Vultures
Highly exposed while scavenging - poisoning led to regional extinctions in the Balkans
Raptors
Eagles, buzzards, kites and harriers exposed when scavenging
Jackals, wolves, foxes, bears
They are typically the targets due to wildlife-human conflict
Why it matters
Poisoning is the most lethal, least traceable form of wildlife crime.
In the Balkans, an estimated 115 vultures die from poisoning each year.
Scavengers play a key role in disease control - losing them raises zoonotic risk.
Low forensic capacity leads to minimal prosecutions.
Trapping & Snaring
Species affected:
Songbirds
Warblers, thrushes, finches taken at a massive scale for consumption or trade (over 20M illegally killed in the Mediterranean annually).
Foxes
Caught unintentionally in snares set for other species; often suffer prolonged deaths.
Badgers
Victims of indiscriminate trapping methods, particularly in rural or border areas.
Hedgehogs
Collateral damage in wire and cage traps, especially near agricultural land.
Why it matters
Traps kill indiscriminately and often slowly.
Millions of birds are caught every year - especially in Cyprus.
Cultural traditions don't override legal protections or ecological damage.
Enforcement of EU laws remains inconsistent.
Wildlife Trafficking
Organized smuggling and sale of live animals, eggs, body parts, or plants, often across borders using forged documents or hidden compartments.
Species affected:
Falcons
Trafficked for illegal falconry in high-value black markets
Tortoises and reptiles
Smuggled live for the exotic pet trade
Parrots, raptors, and songbirds
Taken as chicks or eggs for sale and captivity
Amphibians and tropical fish
Collected in large numbers for trade
Timber species (e.g. rosewood)
Illegally harvested and exported as luxury wood
Why it matters
Wildlife trafficking is worth an estimated €8-20 billion annually.
Europe is both a destination and transit region, with some native species sourced locally (e.g. eels, songbirds).
Trafficking threatens native species, undermines global biodiversity, drives species extinction, and disrupts ecosystems.
Links to organized crime, corruption, and weak border enforcement make this trade hard to trace and prosecute.
The impact is particularly severe for developing countries, where trafficking erodes local economies and livelihoods.
Electrocution & Collision
Birds or bats killed by contact with exposed power lines, pylons, or turbines. These incidents are often unrecorded but represent a major source of mortality.
Species affected:
Egyptian Vulture
Vulnerable due to flight path and size.
Cinereous & Griffon Vultures
Wide wingspans increase electrocution risk.
Owls, raptors
Struck near nests, roosts, or hunting grounds.
Why it matters
These deaths are preventable through design and retrofitting.
Electrocution is becoming a leading cause of vulture population decline in Europe.
Few countries have national action plans for mitigation.
Infrastructure upgrades lag despite clear evidence and legal pressure.
Every species lost to poisoning, shooting, trafficking, and electrocution or collision pushes ecosystems closer to collapse.
Wildlife crime takes lives silently and at scale. It is:
Profitable
Organized
Under-prosecuted