Image: Born Free USAAs an animal protection activist for as long as I can remember, I thought I was aware of all the ways that animals are still abused and exploited in the U.S. When I was a child, I read many animal stories. Some, taking place in previous centuries, included references to the trapping of wild animals as a means of income. I assumed that this activity was part of the past, and that it existed today in only a few states.[teaserbreak]
I knew that trapped animals suffer horribly—not only from the bone-crushing or body-gripping traps directly, but from starvation, dehydration, exposure, drowning, and strangulation. It wasn’t until I came to Born Free USA that I learned that animals are still cruelly trapped both for their fur and for “wildlife management” across the U.S., with few exceptions. Approximately four million animals per year are victims of this practice in the U.S., not counting non-targeted victims like endangered species, dogs, cats, and more.
The most shocking revelation was when I learned that trapping animals for their fur is allowed on national wildlife refuges. That’s right; trapping is legal within our own National Wildlife Refuge System. An oxymoron, isn’t it? It seems reasonable to assume that “wildlife refuge” means a place of safety for wildlife. Outrageously, this is not true. I believe that many Americans would be appalled to know that wildlife is subjected to such cruelty on tax-supported lands that they assume serve as safe havens for wildlife. You can learn about other myths and truths of trapping here.
Born Free USA is advocating for three federal bills related to banning wildlife trapping. The Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act bans body-gripping traps on national wildlife refuges; the Public Safety and Wildlife Protection Act stops interstate transport and commerce of Conibear traps and leghold traps; and the Limiting Inhumane Federal Trapping (LIFT) Act bans trapping on all federal public lands and prohibits U.S. wildlife personnel from using any body-gripping trap in the performance of their duties.
More than 100 countries have banned or severely restricted leghold traps, yet only seven U.S. states have taken similar action. Ending this barbaric practice in the U.S. is up to all of us. Please join me in supporting these bills to make trapping a relic of history, where it belongs!
Keep Wildlife in the Wild,
