FROM PROTECT THE WILD—CATAPULTS AND A BAN

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more The catapult petition is over halfway. This is how we win this Catapult crime against wildlife is skyrocketing. Add your signature now! ELIZA EGRET OCT 8 READ IN APP More than 56,000 people have signed our government petition, demanding that catapult attacks on wildlife become a standalone criminal offence. Reaching the 100,000-signature milestone is critical, so please add your name today! Hitting this target forces Parliament to consider the issue for a full debate. Given the government's clear reluctance to act on its own, overwhelming public demand is necessary to force a breakthrough. Defra has already responded that “there are sufficient laws in place to protect wildlife from targeted use of catapults and existing powers are already available for the police to tackle their misuse.” This is simply not true. Sign the petition! Across the country, catapult violence against wildlife is skyrocketing, leaving local rescue charities overwhelmed by horrific, daily injuries. Meaningful convictions remain virtually non-existent, despite a multi-agency response between the police, the League Against Cruel Sports and others called Operation Lakeshot. There’s a fundamental failure in the current legal framework, which scatters weak protections across various general wildlife and public order acts. Existing laws are clearly doing nothing to deter criminals - who are often teenagers killing animals for online status. Even though intentionally harming wild birds violates the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the law completely ignores the weapons being used to commit these atrocities. An average of 14 catapult incidents a day are recorded in Kent alone, fueling a 23% year-on-year surge in animal cruelty nationwide. Recent RSPCA data revealed that deliberate cruelty cases against wild birds - who are most targeted by catapults - reached 876 incidents in 2025, with summer attacks alone nearly doubling from 179 to 359 compared to the previous year. This accelerated into 2026, with 474 targeted reports logged in the first half of the year alone. Take action! In late September 2026, Cheshunt Animal Rescue in Hertfordshire reported to the national press that catapult attacks are still increasing, despite the supposed national crackdown through Operation Lakeshot. Some local councils have been forced to take matters into their own hands, introducing Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO) to restrict the use of catapults. If the system was working and if current laws were sufficient, councils would not need to improvise their own safety nets. Defra has stated that it has “no plans to make catapult attacks against animals a standalone criminal offence.” But if 100,000 of us make ourselves heard, the government could re-evaluate its stance. Together we can break through this political complacency, trigger a mandatory parliamentary debate, and force the government to grant wildlife the legal protections it desperately needs. Please sign the petition today and demand that catapult crime towards wildlife becomes a standalone criminal offence. Sign the petition now! SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing