Born Free USA applauds the reintroduction in the Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act (H.R. 4716) in the U.S. House of Representatives. Championed by Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-NY, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee) and Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR, Co-Chair of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus), this important legislation would ban body-gripping traps – including steel-jaw leghold traps, Conibear traps, and strangulation neck snares – within our National Wildlife Refuge System: public, protected lands set aside to be a safe haven for our native wildlife.
Traps are cruel. Animals caught in traps suffer extreme pain and injury, as well as exposure to harsh conditions such as starvation, dehydration, predation, and more. Traps are also indiscriminate and can cause severe injury and even death to anyone who steps into them – targeted wildlife, endangered species, companion animals, and even people.
The National Wildlife Refuge System encompasses the most comprehensive and diverse collection of wildlife habitats in the world, providing a home for more than 380 endangered species, and visited by thousands of people every year. Despite this, and despite the inherent cruelty and danger of trapping, trapping is currently permitted on nearly 43% of refuges within the National Wildlife Refuge System, making a mockery of the very definition of “refuge.”
“The use of body-gripping animal traps in our National Wildlife Refuge System is contrary to the very mission and purpose of these protected areas. When Americans visit their local National Wildlife Refuges, most expect to view wildlife without the fear that they or their pets will fall victim to a dangerous trap. However, over half of our nation’s 568 refuges still permit trapping—putting humans, companion animals, and endangered species at risk of severe injury,” said Rep. Jerrold Nadler. “That’s why I am proud to introduce Refuge From Cruel Trapping Act with Rep. Blumenauer to prohibit the recreational use of steel-jaw leghold traps and other inhumane traps within our National Wildlife Refuges. I am grateful for Born Free USA’s continued advocacy on this issue as we work together to ensure that our refuges are free from these cruel and indiscriminate devices.”
According to Angela Grimes, chief executive officer for Born Free USA, “For too long we have allowed the use of these brutal, archaic devices on federal public lands that were created to provide an inviolate sanctuary for our nation’s wildlife. By their very design, steel-jawed leghold traps, snares, Conibear traps, and other body-gripping traps are cruel and indiscriminate. They inflict severe stress, anguish, and suffering for any animal who steps into one, including imperiled species and beloved companion animals. And yet, 242 of our 568 national wildlife refuges—nearly 43 percent—currently allow some form of trapping. Tens of millions of people visit these refuges every year with their families and pets. It is time to relegate these torturous, barbaric devices to the history books where they belong. Born Free USA applauds Chairman Nadler and Congressman Blumenauer for introducing this important bill.”
It is long past time to ban the use of the cruel and archaic devices on protected lands, and Born Free USA urges the House to act quickly to pass this important wildlife protection bill!
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