Family found badger dying in snare trap

Distressed animal put down after incident

A family enjoying a country walk experienced a horrific sight when they discovered a dying badger trapped in a snare.

The badger had become ensnared in the trap at North Wood near Parham, Framlingham, and was found by a family on Saturday afternoon after they were alerted to its “spine-chilling screams.”

It is not known how long the badger had been caught in the snare, but it had become so desperate to escape that it had started to gnaw off its own feet.

Adrian Hinchliffe, coordinator of the Suffolk Badger Group was asked to deal with the situation by the police.

Mr Hinchcliffe said the animal had to be destroyed as it was so badly hurt and traumatised by its ordeal.

He said that he was called to deal with badgers in snares about three or four times a year and called for the laws on the use of snares in be tightened.

He said: “It was extremely traumatic for all involved especially the family in question, not to mention the badger.

“Drag snares, if ‘free-running’, are legal as long as they are not placed on a badger run or sett and must be checked every 24 hours.

“The law must be changed to make these indiscriminate devices illegal. How can the person setting it check it within 24 hours if an animal has indeed dragged it away?

“This might not be a badger next time, nor the probable intended fox, but someone’s pet – a dog or cat.”

An RSPCA spokeswoman confirmed that the organisation had been made aware of the “horrendous” incident.

The spokeswoman said: “The RSPCA is opposed to the use of snares, which can cause a huge amount of pain and suffering to the wildlife and the domestic pets which get caught in them and in many cases can be fatal.

“Snares are indiscriminate and can kill any animals which falls into their traps. They are usually set to catch a fox or rabbit, but their victims are quite often a badger, cat or dog.”