Wildlife legislation has evolved in the UK to promote the conservation of certain species. It generally prevents the deliberate killing, injuring or taking of a protected wild animal, and puts in place provisions for protected animals to be taken, for specific purposes, and/or at specific times. Although there have been Acts protecting some game species, the first main piece of conservation legislation in the UK was the Protection of Wild Birds Act 1954, revised in 1967. Over time, it became apparent that other species required protection and the Conservation of Wild Creatures and Wild Plants Act 1975 came into being. It was then felt that these pieces of legislation should be consolidated into one new piece of legislation, and so the Wildlife and Countryside Act was born in 1981. European legislation has also been an important driver of domestic legislation; the Conservation of Wild Birds (Birds Directive) (79/409/EEC) and the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c) Directive 1992 (Habitats Directive) (92/43/EEC) are relevant and have been enacted in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017.
There is some legislation that deals primarily with welfare of wild animals as opposed to conservation and these are detailed below. There are no specific licences required for wildlife rehabilitation, but there are some licensing issues related to keeping and releasing of rehabilitated wildlife of which all rehabilitators should be aware.
This page provides a summary of the legislation that is pertinent to wildlife rehabilitation. It is recommended that you should refer back to original legislation for clarification, and the subsequent amendments. The BWRC would recommend the following website: http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/ and although we would state that the legislation listed may not always be up-to-date, this website does display each act with the relevant amendments, as and when they appear.
Further information on wildlife legislation and licences etc. can also be found at:
England: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england
Wales: http://naturalresourceswales.gov.uk
Scotland: http://www.snh.org.uk
Following devolution, it should be remembered that some aspects of licensing may vary in Wales, while Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own legislation and that is also detailed below.
1. Associate membership applications
Applications for associate membership will be considered by the BWRC based on criteria such as professional background, relevance to the BWRC’s mission, and completeness of the application. The BWRC reserves the right to refuse applications that do not meet these criteria.
2. Membership payments, renewals, and cancellations
Payment can be made by cheque, BACS, or Standing Order. Please make cheques payable to “British Wildlife Rehabilitation Council” and send them to BWRC, The Gateway 85-101 Sankey Street, Warrington, Cheshire, WA1 1SR. For BACS and Standing Order payments, use the following bank details:
To cancel your membership, please notify us in writing by sending an email to [email protected] stating your reason for cancellation. This reason will be recorded for internal use only.
3. Individual associate membership rights and responsibilities
Associate individual non-voting membership of the BWRC does not count as membership for legal purposes. Therefore, Associate Members do not have any voting rights, legal obligations to act in the interests of the BWRC, or any liability to contribute to the assets of the BWRC on dissolution. The BWRC is not liable for any disputes arising between the member and their organisation regarding membership.
Associate Member benefits may change without notice. Members will be notified of any significant changes via email or through updates on the BWRC website.
4. The ten principles of wildlife rehabilitation
As a member of BWRC, you will be dedicated to upholding the highest standards of care and welfare for wildlife casualties. Individual members should adhere to all of the following principles:
5. Associate membership benefits
6. Terminating membership
The BWRC reserves the right to revoke or decline the renewal of membership if a Member’s actions bring the organisation into disrepute. This includes, but is not limited to:
Any such decision will be made at the discretion of the BWRC, following a fair and transparent review process.
7. Variation of terms & conditions
These terms and conditions may be revised from time to time. If they are revised, we will post the revised version on the BWRC website and email it to all members. Members will have 30 days to review and accept the revised terms. Continued membership after this period will be deemed acceptance of the changes. Please note that individual membership cannot be changed to Associate Organisation and a separate application for AOM is required in these circumstances.
8. Contact information
For membership inquiries, payments, and cancellations, please contact us at:
