Desmond Bellamy, PETA Special Projects Coordinator – Byron Bay
Wildlife carers have been sharing photos of kookaburras, blue-tongued lizards, microbats and other animals caught in glue traps.
Last week, a Facebook post showed three kittens stuck to a glue trap – two were saved, but one died.
Glue traps are incredibly cruel devices, which kill, slowly and painfully, any animal who wanders across their adhesive surface.
Although these traps are designed to kill mice, rats or insects, each year many other animals – including snakes, birds and kittens – become trapped on them, and starve to death or bite off their own limbs in an attempt to free themselves.
Humane traps on the other hand allow mice to be caught and relocated unharmed, and are already being sold by many Australian retailers.
Recognising that glue traps are unnecessary, the Victorian, Tasmanian and ACT governments have banned the sale of glue traps, and many major businesses worldwide have also banned them because of their inherent cruelty.
If you see glue traps in your local hardware store or supermarket, it only takes a minute to politely ask the manager to stop stocking these torturous devices in favour of humane ones.
PETA also offers tips on its website about how to deal with unwanted house guests in a humane manner.
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