Shrews and licensing
You must be licensed if you plan to trap shrews for scientific, research or educational purposes or may accidentally do so during a survey.
Shrews receive partial protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). So it’s an offence to intentionally or recklessly trap shrews.
You should apply to us for a licence if you:
- live-trap small mammals for survey or monitoring purposes and there’s an unavoidable risk that you will catch shrews
- intend to trap shrews for scientific, research or educational purposes
To apply for a licence, email [email protected].
You should include:
- your name, address and telephone number
- full details of your project – covering what and who will be involved, and where and when
- a completed licence application reference form (if applicable)
Read about Shrews: Trapping Guidelines
Licence changes and renewals
You should get in touch if you wish to amend a licence. But check your licence conditions first: you may be able to appoint agents and assistants without having to get them named on your licence.
Find out about adding persons to a licence.
You must also remember to contact us to renew your licence. Licences aren’t renewed automatically.
Find out more
Contacts
If you already have a licence number, include it in the subject line of your email, or have it to hand when you call.
You should receive an automatic confirmation email from us if you send an email. If you do not receive this, please phone us on the number below:
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