Wildlife Snaring: Welfare Impacts and Alternatives

Snares cause prolonged suffering to target and non-target animals and remain legal in many jurisdictions despite significant welfare concerns.

Key Facts

Snares trap animals by the neck or limb, causing hours to days of struggling and pain
Non-target capture rates in snaring can exceed 50% of trapped animals
Welfare groups have documented foxes, badgers, deer, and domestic pets caught in snares
Self-locking snares are illegal in the UK but free-running snares remain permitted
Scotland has moved toward a licensing system for snare use with mandatory training

Welfare Considerations

Snaring is among the least selective and most welfare-costly methods of wildlife control. Animals caught in snares experience terror, pain, and injury as they struggle to escape, with capture durations often extending overnight or through weekends when trap checks are infrequent. Non-target species including protected animals and companion animals are regularly caught and injured. Despite this, snares remain legal across much of the UK, Europe, and North America. The availability of more selective alternatives including live-capture traps and exclusion fencing makes the continued use of snares difficult to justify on welfare grounds.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns for snare bans in your jurisdiction
Never set snares on your land; use humane pest control alternatives
Report suspected illegal or unattended snares to wildlife enforcement agencies
Advocate for mandatory minimum trap-check intervals where snares remain legal
Support organizations documenting snare welfare impacts to inform legislation