POLICE are hunting arsonists after a nature reserve in Poole was deliberately set alight on Sunday night.
An area of Canford Heath populated by rare birds and reptiles was torched soon after 11pm.
A member of the public raised the alarm. Four fire crews were needed to tackle the blaze.
Jez Martin, Poole council’s Nature Conservation Officer, visited the site Monday morning.
He said all six species of England’s native reptiles lived there, including ultra-rare smooth snakes and sand lizards.
“To injure any of those is a criminal offence. You need a licence from Natural England even to handle them. The police and the fire service take these things very seriously.
“We don’t always find the bodies because sometimes they are burned to a frazzle.
“It’s also possible that hibernating wildlife will have died underground.
“It’s just so unthinking. It’s bad for wildlife, and it’s bad for Poole because it creates a blot on the landscape where people go to walk their dogs,” said Mr Martin.
Police closed a section of Canford Heath Road between Tower Park and Sherborne Crescent while four fire engines dashed to tackle the blaze, which covered an area of heath land about 100 metres by 30 metres.
Fire crews returned to the scene at 7.30am on Monday to continue damping down the charred gorse and scorched trees.
Group manager, Chris Hewitt, said: “It’s very dry up there at the moment. If the wind had been up, the fire could have travelled quickly and got into houses.
“Arson is a criminal offence. It’s as simple as that. You can go to prison for it.”
A Dorset Police spokesman confirmed officers were treating the blaze as arson and called on witnesses or anyone with information about the fire to contact them on 01202 222222 or the free and anonymous Crimestoppers service on 0800 555 111.