What's the issue

Snares significantly compromise the welfare of caught animals, in some cases over a considerable length of time.

Due to the nature of snares and the duration of time animals may legally be held in snares even when best practice is followed, the potential negative animal welfare impacts are significant and may include:

• dehydration and hunger / starvation (of caught animal and any dependent young)
• exposure to the elements
• fear and distress (manifesting as escape behaviour which may include self-mutilation and, in rabbits, tonic immobility)
• external and internal injuries
• asphyxiation from strangulation
• exhaustion
• predation
• exertional or capture myopathy

The speed at which welfare begins to be impacted is rapid (seconds from the moment of restraint) and suffering can be prolonged even in instances where legal requirements to check at least every 24 hours are adhered to. Further, accompanying instructions for snares frequently fail to explain the need to kill the caught animals or how to do this humanely. Snares can also be indiscriminate and may result in the capture and suffering of non-target species.

What's our view?

BVA and BVZS recognise that it may be necessary to control wildlife where there is a negative impact on human and animal health, food, agriculture, property or the environment. If a problem is identified, we support the responsible use of the most humane control methods available, which first requires consideration of whether it is necessary to control pests at all. Before lethal control is considered, prevention methods or deterrents should be implemented, and finally, if lethal control of pests is considered necessary, methods that minimise suffering, fear and pain should be used.

We're calling for:

• Pest control to apply responsible use of the most humane methods available, with a focus on prevention and deterrents before lethal control
• Further research into the development into alternative methods for the exclusion and deterrence of wildlife, and more humane methods of killing.
• The UK Governments to introduce an outright ban on the use and sale of snares to both the general public and trained operators.

Get involved

• Contact our policy team for more information