Wales leads the way on animal welfare by banning snares

Another win for badgers in Wales as the Senedd bans wildlife snares.

Wales is leading the way on animal welfare by banning snares in the country. Polling by YouGov in Wales in January 2021 showed 78% of the Welsh public wanted snares made illegal. And the Senedd listened.

In a landmark vote at the Senedd, the Agriculture (Wales) Bill was unanimously passed last week to outlaw these cruel wildlife traps.

A snare is a thin wire noose designed to catch animals landowners don’t want on their land, typically foxes or rabbits. These traps are used extensively on pheasant and partridge game shoot lands. However, snares are indiscriminate in the target animals killed, and badgers are the most commonly killed non-target animal.

A 2012 study conducted by the UK government showed that three-quarters of animals caught in snares were not the intended target species. A 2012 UK government investigation into snaring as a wildlife control measure found that badgers were the most commonly killed non-target animal caught by free-running snares. In fact, 25% of operators reported capturing badgers in free-running snares. And badgers are not the only non-target species falling victim to these cruel devices.

DEFRA also found that hares, deer, otters, pet dogs, and domestic cats had also been killed by this legal method of snaring. Shockingly, 5 out of 17 snare users in the study had caught a cat at least once. This happens even though snaring other animals is illegal under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Despite their intended loosening design, free-locking snares cause immense physical and psychological suffering to captured animals. When a snare traps an animal, they are often caught and left in pain and suffering for hours (legal) or even days (illegal) before dying of strangulation, dehydration, or the elements, or they are found and then killed by the gamekeeper that finds them.

According to DEFRA, up to 51,000 snares may be hidden in the Welsh countryside at any given time. Sadly in England, where this practice is still legal, up to 188,000 snares are in place at any one time.

Peter Hambly, Executive Director of Badger Trust, welcomes the news from Wales and hopes England will soon follow suit and realise that such cruel practices are at odds with biodiversity protection promises and not supported by the public.

“Badger Trust wants to celebrate the Welsh government and the animal welfare campaigners that helped push this to happen in Wales. Maybe now Scotland and England will follow their lead and put animal welfare higher up their agenda.”

The ban will come into effect later this year after receiving royal assent.

Banning snares is another win for badgers in Wales after the Senedd decided to tackle bTB in cattle more effectively by focusing on cattle measures and not culling badgers.

Scotland and England snare use under review

The Scottish government will be watching this decision closely as they are currently reviewing the use of snares in Scotland as part of its Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill. The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission recommended banning snares on animal welfare grounds at the end of 2022.

During the evidence session for this review with the Scottish government, an alternative option, Humane Cable Restraint, was proposed. However, the charity OneKind is pushing for a complete ban on snares in Scotland and made clear that there is no compromise or redesign that can make snares humane.

We urge the Scottish government not to miss the opportunity to do what is right for animal welfare and ban snares. Let’s see if the Scottish government can listen to the evidence and the public.

Wales is leading the way for England and Scotland to follow suit on banning snares. Until this vote, the UK was one of only five European countries that still use snares, and the other countries all have much tighter regulations around their use than the UK.

In January 2023, England MPs debated the ban of free-running snares at Westminster Hall after Animal Aid launched a government petition. After this debate, they announced they would launch a call for evidence as part of its Action Plan for Animal Welfare.

Download the free Badger Watch App.

The best thing you can do to protect badgers from snares is to recognise, record, and report illegal snaring activity. If you find an illegally set self-locking snare, you can report it using our Badger Watch app. On the app you will find a guide to the different types of snares and how to recognise when they are set illegally.

Available for Android and Apple devices, the app is a crucial tool kit for anyone concerned about badger crime. The Badger Watch app provides users with clear, step-by-step guidance on what to do if they encounter or suspect a badger crime has taken place.

Call to Strengthen Policy

Badger Trust continues to call on the English Government to push ahead with their review of snares and urges the Scottish government to listen to the evidence in their review and ban snares. Let’s not get left behind in doing what is right for animal welfare.

What can you do if you find a badger caught in a snare?

We recommend contacting your local badger group in the first instance for help. If you do not have a local group, try to contact your local wildlife rescue, the RSPCA or call Badger Trust on 01273 033440 to see if we can find another option.

Please note as a small charity, the phone line is not staffed 24 hours, and only Monday to Friday during office hours. If we are not able to take your call and it is urgent, please contact the RSPCA.