Whilst we’re sure that our followers know that lethal traps are a danger to wildlife, including raptor species which aren’t always the intended target, there is also a danger to be found in using live traps.
Some of the facial injuries to the Tawny Owl
We recently received a call from a local landowner who had discovered a Tawny Owl stuck in a live rabbit trap. Trapping for Rabbits is legal, and in some areas it has a long history of land management and employment. The landowner extracted the owl carefully from the trap and brought it to us for a check. Unfortunately, live traps are often made of metal mesh, which can cause damage to the feathers of birds of prey. The Owl had some bumps and scrapes on it’s face where it’s tried to escape from the trap, as well as some swelling to a wing, which we suspect was caused as it tried to flap in a confined space.
Other than this, the Owl is a good weight, so we hope that after a few days of observations and pain relief it should be good to be released again.
If you are using any sort of traps for any sort of animals, you have a responsibility to check them regularly for bycatch. Whilst live traps should be checked at least every 24 hours (ideally more often), this also applies to lethal traps, or even sticky paper fly traps, which can often result in horrendous injuries to mammals and birds, including Barn Owls like Sticky.