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http://www.animalliberation.org.au/feraltrap.php
Traps are set mainly for dingoes/wild dogs and foxes. The traps
inflict excruciating pain on these target animals, as well as many
non-target animals, including kangaroos, wombats, possums, birds and
lizards.
In Australia the cruel steel-jaw trap is banned in the ACT and NSW,
although it is still widely used in other states. It is also banned
in 68 countries around the world, and in some states of America.
Steel-jaw traps don't kill - they snap shut on the leg or other body
part when the victims stand on them. Unless trappers very regularly
check their traps and kill trapped animals, the victims will die
slowly of dehydration, starvation or infection. In one study, 10% of
dingoes died in the trap of exposure, exhaustion and shock. (1)
Professional
Trappers
In Victoria and New South Wales, professional trappers had trap
lines 25-75 kilometres long, with up to 50 traps per line (2). Daily
checking of the traps was not possible with a long line, or in
rugged country where checking had to be done on horseback. Farmers
also set traps, and may or may not check them regularly. What this
means is that any animal caught in a trap not only suffers pain and
fear for a long time, but also hunger, thirst, and possibly heat
exhaustion.
Steel-jaw traps inflict terrible injuries - imagine slamming a car
door or your fingers. A study of trapped wolves in Alaska found that
41% had major injuries: large cuts, visible tissue damage, broken
bones, severed tendons. In addition, 46% of the wolves had injuries
to the mouth and teeth from trying to bite their way out of the trap
(3).
Because steel-jaw traps are so cruel, researchers have tried to
develop what they call a "humane" trap by attaching a rubber lining
to the steel jaws.
Study of Trapped
Coyotes
However, in a study of trapped coyotes in America, all legs had
swelling and bruising, regardless of whether they were caught in
steel-jaw or padded traps (4). Some types of injury, however, were
less common in padded traps.
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Steel-jaw trap |
Padded trap |
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Ligament injuries |
95% |
5%-30% |
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Broken bones |
91% |
15%-25% |
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Lacerations more than 2cm |
29% |
20%-24% |
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Thomson P, "The behavioural ecology of dingoes in north-western
Australia. I. The Fortescue River study area
and details of captured dingoes", Wildlife Research, 1992, vol
19 (509-518)
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Newsome A et al, "The feeding ecology of the dingo 1. Stomach
contents from trapping in south-eastern
Australia, and the non-target wildlife also caught in dingo
traps", Australian Wildlife Research ,
1983, vol 10 (477-486)
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Van Ballenberghe V, "Injuries to wolves sustained during live
capture", Journal of Wildlife Management ,
1984, vol 48 (1425-1429)
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Olson G et al, "Injuries to coyotes caught in padded and
unpadded steel foothold traps",
Wildlife Society Bulletin , 1986, vol 14 (219-223)
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