The Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (USPCA) has said it is “horrified and appalled” after a young female badger was found caught in a snare by a member of the public in Co. Tyrone.
The Northern Ireland animal welfare charity said the person contacted it as soon as they found the “petrified” young badger.
The USPCA said that it was unable to determine the exact duration of which the badger was trapped in the snare, but that it was a lengthy period based off the depth of the hole that the badger had dug in an attempt to free itself.
It added that the event was highly “distressing” for the badger.
The animal was examined by the USPCA veterinary team which determined its wounds were superficial and so it was released back into its habitat after treatment for dehydration.
Colleen Tinnelly, the USPCA’s chief operating officer, said: “This is a very distressing case; snares are indiscriminative in nature and over the years we have seen cases of family pets being caught in them.
“They can cause a great deal of pain and injury to an animal.
“In this instance, the Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI) have been informed as badgers are protected by law in Northern Ireland under the Wildlife Order (Northern Ireland) 1985 as amended by the Wildlife and Natural Environment Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.
“It is a criminal offence to cause harm to these animals.”
“Our team did a fantastic job in safely retrieving this poor badger and providing it with treatment and comfort,” she added.
“Thankfully following the removal of the snare and the provision of pain relief, it showed great signs of improvement and was able to be released back into its own habitat.
“We’re very grateful to the member of the public who made us aware of this badger and assisted in its recovery and re-release.”
Legality of snares
The charity mentioned the legality of free-running snares, which are legal in Northern Ireland. However, under the Snares Order of 2015, they must be checked at least once a day and not be set in a manner that would see an animal become partially or fully suspended or drown.
The USPCA said these snares are used under the guise of “wildlife management” and target the likes of rabbits and foxes.
“The USPCA recognises the necessity of capturing animals on a limited scale for a variety of reasons, however they only acceptable means of doing so is by using live traps, and only when the trap is incapable of restraining an animal without causing pain or injury and is visited at least every 12 hours,” Tinnelly said.
“In our view, there is no body-grip trap which does not cause unacceptable suffering.
“In incidents like this, the USPCA would urge the public to report it to the PSNI or to speak to a member of our team.”