Wildlife Snare and Trap Welfare Issues

Snares and traps used for pest control and bushmeat hunting cause severe suffering to target and non-target animals globally.

Key Facts

Wire snares cause slow strangulation that can take hours to days to kill
Non-target species including endangered animals are regularly captured in snares set for other species
Leg-hold traps cause tissue damage, psychological distress, and frequently self-mutilation
Snare surveys in protected areas of Africa have found thousands of snares per square kilometer
Certified humane trapping standards exist for pest control but are inconsistently applied

Welfare Considerations

Indiscriminate snaring represents one of the most welfare-negative practices affecting wild animals globally. Wire snares are cheap, easily deployed, and extremely difficult to enforce against, resulting in vast numbers causing prolonged deaths across tropical forest ecosystems. Even target species intended for human consumption die in considerable distress. The non-target bycatch — including endangered carnivores and primates — adds conservation harm to welfare harm. Addressing snaring requires both enforcement in protected areas and alternative livelihood and protein source development in communities dependent on bushmeat.

What You Can Do

Support organizations conducting snare removal patrols in wildlife areas
Donate to anti-poaching programs that protect wildlife from snaring
Advocate for international support for enforcement capacity in heavily snared regions
Support alternative protein programs that reduce community dependence on bushmeat
Raise awareness of snaring welfare impacts in conversations about wildlife conservation