Scottish Animal Welfare Commission - trapping of terrestrial wild mammals using snares: position paper

Non-target species

The capture of non-target species may result in their death and/or significant injury (19). The proportion of non-target species caught in snares set for foxes has been estimated as ranging from 21% to 69% (20). Recorded non-target species include cats, dogs, sheep, and protected wildlife, such as badgers, mountain hares, pine martens, hedgehogs, birds, otters and deer (21). The release of apparently uninjured non-target animals from snares is not without welfare concerns as they may have sustained muscle damage (exertional rhabdomyolysis) and/or pressure damage (ischaemic necrosis) of tissue, which may not be obvious for several days and require medical care (22) (23).