Snare Trapping and Wildlife Welfare

Snares are one of the most indiscriminate and welfare-damaging trapping methods in use, causing suffering to target and non-target species alike.

Key Facts

Snares are used for predator control and bushmeat hunting on every inhabited continent
Cable snares cause injuries through cutting, constriction, and struggle-induced myopathy
Non-target captures including deer, foxes, and badgers are common with poorly set snares
Some countries have banned snares outright, others regulate specific designs
Foot-hold traps that lock on a limb cause similar injuries to cable snares

Welfare Considerations

Animals caught in snares experience some of the most prolonged suffering documented in wildlife management. Unable to escape, they struggle against the restraint, causing muscle damage, circulatory injuries, and extreme psychological distress. Animals may remain snared for 24 hours or more before a licensed trapper checks. Non-target species — badgers, otters, cats, deer — caught in snares set for foxes or rabbits suffer identically to the intended quarry. Welfare-superior alternatives to snaring exist for most predator management objectives, including camera-trap-assisted selective shooting, exclusion fencing, and guardian animals.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns for a full ban on snare trapping in your jurisdiction
Report illegally set or non-compliant snares to wildlife authorities
Advocate for research investment in welfare-superior predator management methods
Choose food products from farms that use only non-snare predator management approaches