EXCLUSIVE: Campaigners have long been calling for England to ban the cruel and indiscriminate snare traps that leave animals to die slowly or be shot by the gamekeeper
The Government has been urged to deliver on its promise to ban “brutal” snare traps that catch running animals by the neck with a wire noose.
Snares work by tightening around the neck, upper body or legs of any animal that enters one, causing immense pain and suffering, leaving the victim to either be shot by the gamekeeper or die slowly.
Campaigners have long been calling for England to ban the cruel and indiscriminate traps to bring the country in line with Wales and Scotland.
UK government figures show up to 200,000 of these traps are being used in the English countryside at any one time, but the true figure is likely to be much higher.
These cruel wire traps are set by gamekeepers on large swathes of moorland used for grouse shooting to kill wildlife such as foxes, and to maintain artificially high stocks of grouse so that hundreds of thousands of birds can in turn be shot for “sport”.
Emma Slawinski, chief executive of the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “Snares are cruel and indiscriminate traps which have no place in a nation of animal lovers and should be consigned to the history books.
“We welcome the government’s commitment to ban snares and call on them to act soon and introduce legislation to ban them in England and end the suffering and torment our wildlife currently endures.
“The time for change is now. The government is pushing against an open door if they move to ban snares in England as they have the overwhelming support of the general public.”
In 2024, fury erupted over a shocking video of a fox caught in a snare trap on King Charles’ country estate at Sandringham. The minute-long clip, revealed by The Mirror, showed a terrified fox with a wire snare around its neck, as the animal frantically tried to escape.
The Labour Party pledged to ban snares in England in its most recent general election manifesto and polling commissioned by the League and carried out independently by YouGov, showed that 71% of people who live in England believe that the use of snares should be made illegal in the country.
New PM Andy Burnham has previously spoken about the need to “tackle wildlife crime and cruelty on shooting estates.”
A Defra spokesperson said: “We have a strong track record of delivering for animal welfare and our ambitious Animal Welfare Strategy reaffirmed our commitment to ban the use of cruel snare traps that are so damaging to wildlife and pets.
“We are actively looking to bring a ban on snares into force as swiftly as possible.”