Snare trapping for wildlife management causes severe welfare harms including strangulation, injury, and prolonged suffering, and has been banned in many jurisdictions.
Snared animals experience panic, pain from wire cutting into skin, and prolonged suffering over hours or days. Caught animals often injure themselves further through struggling. Non-target species caught in snares set for foxes or rabbits include protected badgers, cats, dogs, and raptors. The 24-hour check requirement is insufficient — studies show animals caught within the first hour may still experience 23 hours of suffering before discovery. Scotland's full ban reflects the evidence that snares cannot be used humanely.