Badger hit at Castle Rising had snare
THE RSPCA investigated the death of a snared badger found beside the A148 near Castle Rising last week.
A local farm worker, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Lynn News that he came across the dead badger on Thursday and was "appalled and disgusted" to see what appeared to be a fox snare around its neck.
He said it looked as if it might have crawled into the hedge to die after being hit by a car. "It was one of the biggest badgers I have seen," he said.
An RSPCA inspector reported that it had been caught in a legal free-running snare, not an illegal self-locking type.
"But it should still have been set somewhere to avoid a badger being caught in it," she said.
"Free-running snares can still be set legally to catch foxes and rabbits, but this must be done in accordance with certain conditions."
They could only be set with the landowner's permission, in positions which prevent them from becoming illegal self-locking snares once the animal is caught, and they should be checked at least once every day.
"It is illegal to set a snare in such a way as to be calculated to cause bodily injury to any animal listed in Schedule 6 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981, which includes badgers," she said.
"The RSPCA is completely opposed to the use of all snares but says that where legal snares are set people need to realise that they must follow the law and guidelines or leave themselves open to prosecution."
Failure to follow any of the rules is a criminal offence carrying a maximum penalty of a 5,000 fine and/or six months in prison. Anyone with information about an animal which is sick, injured or in danger should call the RSPCA helpline on 0300 1234 999.
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Weather for King's Lynn
Saturday 26 May 2012
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