Blog: It’s Time to End the Cruel Practice of Snaring

Snaring is one of the most inhumane and outdated practices in wildlife management, yet shockingly, it remains legal in England despite its cruelty and indiscriminate nature. 

Snares are primitive wire traps designed to tighten around an animal's body, often causing extreme pain, injury, or even death. 

Although intended to catch foxes, they frequently trap non-target animals, including protected species like badgers and otters, as well as pets.

It’s time for the Westminster government to follow the lead of Wales and Scotland by implementing a UK-wide ban on the sale and use of snares.

In Scotland, the ban on snares, which came into effect in November this year, marked a pivotal step in acknowledging the unnecessary suffering caused by these devices. Similarly, Wales outlawed snares as part of the Agriculture (Wales) Act, taking a compassionate and progressive approach to animal welfare.

Both the Scottish and Welsh governments rejected attempts by the shooting industry to rebrand snares as humane cable restraints, a term used to mask the cruelty of these devices.

These measures highlight the need for England to catch up and ensure animals are no longer subjected to such needless suffering.

According to figures from Defra, a staggering 200,000 snares are scattered across the English countryside at any given time. These hidden traps pose a constant danger, not just to wildlife but also to pets and livestock. The indiscriminate nature of snares makes them a blunt instrument of control, unable to differentiate between their intended target and unintended victims.

The evidence is clear: snares are cruel, indiscriminate, and unnecessary. Public opinion is shifting towards greater compassion for wildlife, and the UK government must act to reflect this. A ban on snares across the whole of the UK would not only prevent unnecessary suffering but also demonstrate that England is committed to ethical and sustainable wildlife management.

The time for change is now. Let’s consign snares to history where they belong.

• Take action: Write to your MP via our page here and ask them to tell the Environment Secretary they back a ban