Polecats are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 against intentional killing, but are regularly killed in traps set for mink and rats. Awareness of polecat identification among pest controllers reduces accidental persecution.
Polecats killed in legally set traps for other species represent welfare harm that may be technically legal (if unintentional) but is preventable through better identification training and trap checking frequency. Polecats that survive trap encounters may escape injured without being found. The expanding range population means more polecats are entering areas where pest controllers may not have experience identifying them, increasing accidental trap mortality.