All 48 states that allow recreational and commercial trapping demand that trappers secure a license for trapping in some or most circumstances, with some states additionally mandating that would-be trappers must complete educational courses before receiving a trapping license. Despite this, many traps are available for unrestricted purchase from online sales platforms, including e-commerce giants, Amazon and e-Bay.
Cruel leghold traps, dangerous Conibear traps, and torturous snares are all available for purchase at the click of a mouse, no questions asked. The inevitable outcome is death and suffering.
Indeed, harrowing reviews from “Verified Purchasers” on Amazon not only provide photographic evidence of the suffering caused by the traps sold on the site, but clearly demonstrate that buyers may have given no real thought to the consequences of their purchase, until they are faced with a trapped animal fighting for their life. One reviewer tells other potential buyers of their refusal to help a raccoon caught by a snare that they had set, as follows [Warning: distressing content]:
“They work great. I snared a raccoon on my first attempt. The trick is to put some irresistible bait in a spot where there is only one way in, forcing the prey to go though [sic] the snare to get it.
I had some concerns that the snare would not tighten around my prey, and that the lock would not allow release of the animal. The snare tightened around the raccoon. When I came out to see what animal was crying, the raccoon jumped and the snare tightened even more causing the raccoon the [sic] cry out even louder. Apparently he had his front leg or shoulder caught in the snare. So when he jumped over a ledge and the snare tightened further he injured his leg or shoulder and also the snare tightened so much that he had difficulty breathing.
I certainly wasn’t going to reach out [to] release the snare around his neck as I would certainly have gotten scratched and bitten by a wild animal backed into the proverbial corner and fighting for his life. But had it been pet dog or cat or even a rabbit I could have.
This is serious business. Be prepared for what you are going to do with a wild animal caught in the snare, fighting for his life, and suffering and crying. I’m sure not going to reach up and release the lock on the snare holding a wild animal.”
– Amazon.com Verified Purchaser Snare Review
Another review on Amazon gave a brief account of coyotes being killed by snares:
“I have snares [sic] 3 [co]yotes and all three times it was a neck snare.”
– Amazon.com Verified Purchaser Snare Review
It is unclear what happened to the raccoon in the account, but it is clear from this that the trapper had no experience or plan as to what to do when faced with the inevitable outcome of laying out a snare or other kind of trap. And, we can only imagine the suffering that the coyotes endured before their deaths. Snares are banned in 12 states but are readily available for sale on sites such as Amazon with no legal disclaimer.
While it is perfectly possible for those without a license to purchase traps on Amazon, it is not necessarily the case that traps purchased on Amazon and other sites are being used illegally in most cases, despite the site making no attempt to verify this at the point of purchase. That said, the site also allows the sale of leghold traps for bears – using leghold traps to capture bears is illegal in every single U.S. state.
Amazon has an extensive list of products that are prohibited (for example, firearms) and others that are severely restricted (for example, alcohol), but traps are not included in that list. Born Free USA is calling on Amazon to implement and enforce complete prohibition of body-gripping traps on its site on both legal and animal welfare grounds immediately.
You can support the campaign by adding your name to our petition to Amazon. Click here to add your name and demand immediate action!
Keep Wildlife in the Wild,
Liz
