Snares are wire nooses used to catch foxes and rabbits in the UK. Their welfare impact on target and non-target species is severe, and calls for abolition are supported by substantial evidence.
Snare trapping causes extreme suffering to caught animals. The terror of sudden confinement, combined with the physical trauma of struggling against the wire, causes injuries that can be severe even in legal free-running snares. Animals held for hours cannot escape, defecate or drink. Neck snares cause severe tracheal and vascular damage. Non-target species that lack the body shape to escape free-running snares experience the same suffering as target animals. The 24-hour inspection requirement is frequently not met. Scotland's abolition of snares reflects a policy assessment that their welfare impact cannot be justified by the pest control benefits, particularly when alternative methods are available. The continuation of legal snaring in England represents a significant welfare policy gap.