Snaring is used for pest control and game management but causes severe suffering to both target and non-target animals. Regulation varies enormously between jurisdictions.
Snaring causes substantial welfare harm by design. An animal caught in a wire snare experiences acute fear, pain from the wire cutting into tissue during struggling, and prolonged stress during the waiting period. By-catch of non-target species extends this harm beyond the intended targets. Countries that have banned snaring have not experienced unmanageable increases in target pest populations, suggesting effective alternatives exist. Where snaring continues, minimum welfare standards — mandatory daily checks, stop-locks to prevent full closure, clearly marked snares — partially mitigate the worst harms while campaigns for phase-out continue.