As lockdown eases and people are once again able to visit our beautiful countryside, there is a possibility that they may seek to utilise quieter places for their recreation in order to ensure social distancing. In addition, lockdown restrictions have presented an opportunity to some species to utilise areas which are normally too busy for them. Both these factors may bring people into contact with wildlife. Whilst these interactions can be harmless to wildlife and memorable for people, they can also disturb normal behaviours such as feeding, resting, nesting, moulting and flowering.
Local wildlife conservation partners would like to gather examples of such incidents in order to gauge whether such an issue exists and if so, identify any hot spots to inform future management and minimise wildlife disturbance whilst facilitating sustainable recreation. If you think you have witnessed wildlife disturbance, even low-level and unintentional, we would appreciate you providing the following information:
· Date
· Grid reference
· Location name
· Brief description of the incident
· Your contact details
· Any supporting photographs
Information should be emailed to Lisa Morgan of the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales for collation at l.morgan@welshwildlife.org . Feel free to include reports dating back over the last few months if relevant.
Please do not use this system to report issues such as dog fouling or antisocial behaviour – we are simply trying to get a picture of the frequency and scale of any wildlife disturbance caused by post-lockdown recreation.
Please note, we are not asking you to intervene or approach individuals involved. If you feel the incident is serious enough to constitute a wildlife crime, then you should report it directly to Dyfed Powys Police using the non-emergency number (101) or on their website.