1. 08-Feb-2012 10:09:00 by Richard Kelly

This is horrific! That poor badger must've been in so much pain, at least he/she can rest now. There needs to be a change in the way people think about animals like badgers and foxes, violence like this is unnecessary and there was no need for a trap like this to be placed.

2. 09-Feb-2012 18:52:00 by Investigator

I would like to say that this incident is uncommon, but sadly it is far too common and if only one animal suffered in this way each year then that would be one wild animal too many as the suffering, from the moment the animal is caught, either around the neck, body or leg, can cause unimaginable suffering. Fox snares do not only catch foxes. Due to the crudeness of this simple device, even when it is legal and set in a legal manner, it is can catch other animals also such as deer, dogs, cats, otters, rabbits, pine marten and badgers. The trench circle that can be seen in the photo is caused when the struggling animal violently fights to free itself, digging into the ground with the snare anchored in the middle. A trench like this will almost always indicate that the animal has been caught for a considerable time, possibly days and these incidents are so common that the trench like structure has even been given a name; it is commonly termed a 'donut'. I have discovered snared badgers which have been caught in snares for days and still they are alive, even when the snare wire has cut almost half the way through their bodies. Snared foxes, if the snares are not checked regularly, tend to die sooner than the badger, but none the less, will suffer just as much, either through strangulation or starvation. It is common to find the bark of tree roots or branches around dead snared foxes missing where the fox has tried to eat this to stay alive. 'Stink pits' are also a common feature on shooting estates. These are structures, often found in woodland, where dead animals like hares, deer, sheep and foxes are dumped into a circle of snares. I have even found rotting fish, crabs and a cat in the centre of these death pits! Often a wall of branches is laid down through the woodland to guide the animals towards the centre of this trap. Dozens of snares can be used and can attract any animal that finds itself attracted to the smell of the rotting animals. This is perfectly legal (It is unlawful to use farm livestock as bait in these traps), even though it is clearly indiscriminate. How much more evidence does there have to be before this outdated and cruel wire device is finally made illegal. However, the pressure is on by many now to see a complete ban and with the evidence mounting, proving just how indiscriminate legal snares are and how much suffering they can cause, let us hope that with our continued effort we can see them gone once and for all!