Guwahati: The Arunachal Pradesh Department of Animal Husbandry, Veterinary and Dairy Development has, in the wake of an appeal from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, issued a notification prohibiting the manufacture, sale and use of glue traps to catch rodents in the state.
“As per the directives of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), the use, sale and manufacture of glue traps for catching rats and mice are illegal and contrary to the existing provision of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960. Therefore, the state government is pleased to prohibit the manufacture, sale and use of glue traps for catching rats and mice in the state of Arunachal Pradesh with immediate effect,” the notification issued recently by Bidol Tayeng, commissioner, animal husbandry, veterinary and dairy development department, Arunachal Pradesh read.
Affirming that the use of glue traps for this purpose violates the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, the notification illustrates the suffering of small animals that get trapped on sticky boards.
In its appeal, PETA India requested that the state take immediate steps to implement the directions of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) against glue traps.
“Similar circulars taking action on glue traps have been issued by the governments of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal,” a statement from PETA India issued on Friday said.
“PETA India applauds the Arunachal Pradesh government for taking steps to protect animals, no matter how small, and for sparing them hideously slow and painful deaths,” PETA India advocacy officer Farhat Ul Ain said.
“Glue traps are ineffective in the long term since they don’t deal with the root of the problem. Simply put, more rats and mice move in, as their breeding is prompted by a brief increase in the food supply. The result is a vicious killing cycle in which many animals suffer and die,” the PETA India official said.
The use of glue traps is a punishable offence under Section 11 of the PCA Act, 1960.
Usually made of plastic trays or sheets of cardboard covered with strong glue, glue traps are indiscriminate killers, often catching non-target animals, including birds, squirrels, reptiles, and frogs. This makes their use also a violation of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, which prohibits the “hunting” of protected indigenous species.
Mice, rats and other animals caught in these traps can die of hunger, dehydration or exposure after days of prolonged suffering. Others may suffocate when their noses and mouths get stuck in the glue, while some even chew through their legs in a desperate bid for freedom and die from blood loss. Those found alive may be thrown away along with the trap or face an even more traumatic death, such as bludgeoning or drowning.
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“PETA India notes that the best way to control the rodent population is to make the area unattractive or inaccessible to them: eliminate food sources by keeping surfaces and floors clean and storing food in chew-proof containers, sealing trash cans and using ammonia-soaked cotton balls or rags to drive rodents away,” the statement said.
“After giving them a few days to leave, seal entry points using foam sealant, steel wool, hardware cloth, or metal flashing. Rodents can also be removed using humane cage traps but must be released where they will find adequate food, water, and shelter to help them survive,” it said.
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