Wildlife Crime Academy

07/05/2026

Most Europeans say they care about wildlife. Yet Europe remains a major hub for the illegal wildlife trade, fuelled in part by the demand for exotic pets and the content we consume online.

Wild animals are not pets. Behind viral videos and social media trends lies a multi-billion-dollar criminal trade driving suffering, trafficking and biodiversity loss.

➡Read about the hidden role consumer demand and social media play in fuelling wildlife crime: https://wildlifecrimeacademy.eu/liked-to-death-how-europes-love-of-wild-pets-is-fuelling-wildlife-crime

Most Europeans say they care deeply about wildlife. So why are they still helping to destroy it? Servals and savannah cats are now among the…

09/04/2026

A five-year-old Bearded Vulture was shot and killed in France.

The hunter later received an 18-month suspended sentence, saying: “It was a reflex, a bad reflex.”

The bird was part of a European reintroduction effort.

➡Read the full story: https://wildlifecrimeacademy.eu/french-hunter-sentenced-after-shooting-reintroduced-bearded-vulture/

French hunter sentenced after shooting reintroduced Bearded Vulture

03/04/2026

A hunter in Spain has been convicted of killing Nenúfar, a reintroduced Iberian lynx and nursing mother of four cubs, shot illegally in 2019.

He received a three-year hunting ban and was ordered to pay €100,800 in compensation.

In Spain, wildlife crime has consequences, and it's that culture of rigorous investigation and prosecution that the works to share across Europe and beyond.

➡Read more: https://wildlifecrimeacademy.eu/hunter-fined-e100800-for-killing-protected-wildlife-in-spain/

© Guardia Civil

26/03/2026

Montenegro has signed a Manifesto for Combating Wildlife Crime and is building real institutional capacity to tackle it. Police, prosecutors, park rangers and inspectors are training together, a shared protocol is in development, and political commitment is growing. Twelve professionals have already completed specialist training in Spain, with more sessions coming to Montenegro later this year. This is what progress looks like.

Read the full article: https://wildlifecrimeacademy.eu/montenegro-shows-real-progress-against-wildlife-crime/

The latest wildlife crime training gathered 37 professionals from 9 countries to fight poaching, poisoning, and trafficking across Europe.

06/03/2026

🚨 Wildlife crime doesn't stop at borders, and neither do we.

Last week, 35 enforcement officers, forensic specialists, prosecutors and conservation practitioners completed Cohort 4 of the Wildlife Crime Academy Level 1 training in Huelva, Spain.

Romania and northern Cyprus joined for the first time, while Portugal, Montenegro, Slovenia and Spain returned. The Academy now covers 20+ countries with 130+ professionals trained.

During three intensive days, participants trained across the full arc of a wildlife crime investigation, from crime scene and forensic evidence collection to interview techniques, ballistics, and ensuring findings hold up in court.

Wildlife crime is one of the world's largest transnational criminal activities, fuelling corruption and biodiversity loss. Consistent enforcement is what turns crime into consequence. Andalusia proves it: coordinated investigation and prosecution reduced wildlife poisoning incidents by over 90% in 20 years. The professionals behind that success now train the next generation through the Academy.

📄 Read the full press release: https://wildlifecrimeacademy.eu/wildlife-crime-academy-trains-cohort-4-in-spain-as-network-and-reach-grow/

🤝 EU-funded by the LIFE Programme and led by the Vulture Conservation Foundation, with the support of Junta de Andalucía, Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico, Guardia Civil, Universidad Internacional de Andalucía, Europol, Convention on Migratory Species, BirdLife International via IKB, and participating country governments.

27/02/2026

25/02/2026

Day 2 at the Wildlife Crime Academy Level 1 Training 🔍🌿

Today’s sessions focused on building the practical and legal foundations needed to combat wildlife crime effectively. Participants covered:

• Introduction to fi****ms, ammunition & ballistics
• Forensic sample collection and field documentation
• Legal procedures and presenting evidence in court

From the crime scene to the courtroom, every detail matters. Strengthening skills, enhancing collaboration, and reinforcing the fight against wildlife crime.

24/02/2026

This week, about 35 dedicated professionals have come together in Huelva, Spain for the first level training course of the

Over the next few days, participants will build a strong foundation in wildlife crime investigation with a special focus on cases involving poisoning, shooting, and electrocution.

Today combined both theory and hands-on practice, giving attendees the opportunity to strengthen their investigative skills in real-world scenarios. From crime scene assessment to evidence handling, the learning is practical, collaborative, and impactful.

Together, we are strengthening the capacity to detect, investigate, and prevent wildlife crime! 💪

13/02/2026

Wolves are deliberately targeted. Vultures pay the price.

Across France, poison is still being used to illegally kill protected wolves. The penalties for destroying a protected species are severe, with up to three years in prison and a 150,000 euro fine. Yet convictions remain rare.

Poison is hard to trace. In 2022, a farmer in the Drôme admitted to poisoning a wolf and burying the body. He received a suspended prison sentence and a hunting ban. The conviction was secured largely because he was already under police surveillance in an unrelated investigation. Cases like that are the exception.

The consequences extend beyond wolves. Between 2021 and 2024, at least 143 raptors were confirmed to have been poisoned. In 2024 alone, around 30% of the dead raptors discovered had died from poisoning.

There are signs of progress. New specialised enforcement units and targeted training initiatives like the Wildlife Crime Academy are beginning to strengthen the response. But addressing wildlife poisoning will require sustained commitment, technical expertise and coordinated action over the long term.

➡Read more here: http://www.wildlifecrimeacademy.eu/wildlife-poisoning-in-france-wolves-vultures-and-a-climate-of-impunity

Across several regions of France, poison continues to be used to illegally kill protected wildlife. Wolves are usually the intended target. But they are not…

15/01/2026

One month. Nearly 30,000 live animals seized. 134 countries.

Operation Thunder 2025, led by INTERPOL HQ and the World Customs Organizations with support from ICCWC, worked across 134 countries to target wildlife and forest crime, identifying more than 1,100 suspects.

The scale of the seizures shows how widespread and organized this illegal trade really is, along with the significant damage it inflicts on ecosystems, economies, and public health.

But we can fight back when enforcement is coordinated and well-supported.

➡Read the full article: https://4vultures.org/blog/operation-thunder-2025-by-interpol-seizes-nearly-30000-live-animals

29/12/2025

2025: A landmark first year for the WildLIFE Crime Academy

The past year marked a decisive step forward in the fight against wildlife crime. What began as a proven training model has grown into an international platform for cooperation, capacity building and enforcement.

✔️ Two international training courses delivered in Spain
✔️ Strong engagement with governments and authorities across multiple countries
✔️ National working groups established, with Montenegro adopting a national action plan
✔️ Launch of the WildLIFE Crime Academy website to support knowledge-sharing and collaboration

And this is only the beginning.

The coming years will see further international cohorts, expanded national training programmes and the launch of new tools to support collaboration and intelligence-sharing.

Step by step, the Academy is helping to reshape how wildlife crime is investigated and prosecuted, ensuring that those who commit crimes against nature are met with coordinated, professional and effective responses.