Issue Type: Wildlife

Wildlife

Humane Society International

Oikeutta Elaimille

How many animals are killed globally on fur farms?

Each year, tens of millions of animals are bred and killed to supply the fashion industry with not only traditional fur coats but, increasingly, real fur trim for hooded jackets, and real fur pompoms used on hats, gloves, shoes and a range of other clothing and accessories. It’s estimated that as many as half of all animals raised for their fur are killed to satisfy the market for fur trim.

The industry has seen a decline in recent years, as consumers, retailers, designers turn their backs on real fur, and politicians vote in favour of fur production bans and, increasingly, fur sales bans.

Annual fur production:

  • 2014: Europe 43.6m, China 87m, North America 7.2m, Russia 1.7m
  • 2018: Europe 38.3m, China 50.4m, North America 4.9m & Russia 1.9m
  • 2021: Europe 12m, China 27m, North America 2.3m & Russia 600,000
  • 2022: Europe 10m, China 22m, North America 2m, & Russia 600,000

(Figures shown are estimates focused on mink, foxes, raccoon dogs, chinchillas and sables. Rabbits and animals trapped for their fur are excluded.)

What about trapping in the wild?

In addition to fur farming, many millions of animals are trapped and killed for their fur in the wild. Most fur from wild-trapped animals comes from the USA, Canada and Russia. In 2018, almost 3 million animals were killed for their pelts by trapping in North America, including 647,000 raccoons and 363,000 coyotes. Traps inflict great pain and anguish, both to the target animals and to unintended victims such as pets and endangered species.

Often left for days, unable to seek shelter, food or water, these animals can cause serious injury to themselves in an attempt to escape. When the trappers finally arrive, they will often stomp or beat the animals to death. We exposed the brutality of trapping animals for fur in an undercover investigation, in collaboration with Born Free USA.

Have any countries banned fur farming?

Yes, over the past two decades, 25 countries have either voted to ban the practice, have prohibited the farming of particular species, or have introduced stricter regulations that have effectively curtailed the practice. The Canadian province of British Columbia has also banned the farming of mink for their fur. Several other countries, including Romania, are also discussing the introduction of bans on fur farming. See the latest list at furfreealliance.com/fur-bans.

Have any countries banned fur sales?

Yes, in 2021 Israel became the first country in the world to ban real fur sales. In the United States, California became the first US state to ban the sale of fur in 2019 (the ban came into effect in January 2023) following similar bans in cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berkeley and West Hollywood. To date, 16 towns and cities in the United States have banned fur sales and more US cities and states are looking to follow suit in the future. In the UK, the government is considering action on fur sales.

Is fur farming cruel?

Yes. Animals bred for their fur such as foxes, rabbits, raccoon dogs and mink are confined in small, barren, wire cages for their entire lives. Unable to express their basic natural behaviours such as digging, roaming large territories and, for semi-aquatic mink, swimming and diving, these naturally active and curious animals have been shown to display the stereotypical behaviour of mental distress such as repeated pacing and circling inside their cages. Such confined spaces can also result in animals self-mutilating and fighting with their cage mates.

Numerous recent investigations at so-called certified “high welfare” mink, fox and raccoon dog farms in Finland have revealed a catalogue of deplorable conditions and distressing suffering, including over-sized “monster foxes,” animals with open wounds, deformed feet, diseased eyes, and even incidents of mink being driven to cannibalism. HSI has also exposed the conditions suffered by chinchillas on fur farms in Romania and the plight of baby foxes, mink and raccoon dogs in China.

How are animals on fur farms killed?

When their pelts are at their prime, before they are one year old, the animals are gassed, electrocuted, beaten or have their necks broken. In December 2015 HSI filmed foxes on a Chinese fur farm being beaten to death, and rabbits being given a blow to the head before being shackled from their back legs and their throats cut before being skinned. Instances of raccoon dogs being slammed against the ground then skinned whilst still showing signs of consciousness have also been documented in China. (Warning, graphic footage)

See the evidence for yourself: Take a look at HSI’s investigation at a fox and raccoon dog fur farm in China, and our investigation at a rabbit fur farm in China, both December 2015. Warning: graphic footage.

Which designers and retailers are fur-free?

Increasingly, international designers, brands, department stores and luxury online retailers are turning their backs on cruel real fur. In recent years, Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Moncler, Dolce & Gabbana and Versace have gone fur free, as has well-known former-fur-using brand Canada Goose – to name just a few! By supporting fur-free designers, we can all help to put the business of animal cruelty out of fashion. For a full list, check out the Fur-Free Retailer website at furfreeretailer.com.

MP Fin Donnelly, Humane Society International/Canada, marine scientists, and the family of the late Rob Stewart urge Members of Parliament to pass Bill S-238

Humane Society International / Canada

OTTAWA – Canada has passed the halfway mark in prohibiting the trade of shark fins with Member of Parliament Fin Donnelly tabling Bill S-238, the Ban on Shark Fin Trade Act, into the House of Commons today. The Bill, introduced by Senator Michael MacDonald in 2017, passed by an overwhelming margin by the Senate in late October.

Conservationists, marine scientists, animal welfare advocates, and the family of filmmaker Rob Stewart are calling on the federal government to pass this bill as a matter of urgency.

Julie MacInnes, wildlife campaign manager for Humane Society International/Canada, stated: “Since 2011, five federal Private Members Bills have been introduced that would ban the trade in shark fins; over just these past eight years, nearly one billion sharks have been butchered and killed for their fins. The sharks – and the ocean ecosystems that depend on them – do not have another election to wait. We are urging MPs to support S-238 and stop this destructive practise once and for all.”

The bill’s House sponsor, MP Fin Donnelly, stated: “Members of Parliament and the Canadian government must act swiftly on this urgent matter to ensure Canada plays a key role in protecting sharks globally, which are vital to sustain ocean ecosystems.”

Brian and Sandy Stewart, parents of the late Rob Stewart, issued the following statement: “We are grateful to MP Fin Donnelly and Senator MacDonald for their leadership in sponsoring this Bill and standing up for ocean conservation. Bill S-238 is an important step towards ending Canadian trade in shark fins. We urge the federal government and Members of Parliament to listen to the overwhelming majority of Canadians who support ending the trade of shark fins in Canada.”

Marine scientist Dr. Dirk Steinke, added: “There is scientific consensus that sharks are among the most threatened wildlife worldwide, which makes this all the more disconcerting. We are hopeful that Canada will take the necessary leadership in ending the shark fin trade.”

The proposed legislation was amended in the Senate so that it prohibits not only the import of shark fins into Canada, but also prohibits their export. Bill S-238 now awaits debate and a vote at Second Reading.

Facts:

  • Shark finning is the practice of cutting off a shark’s fin and discarding the animal at sea to die a slow and painful death. It is an exceptionally cruel and ecologically reckless practice that puts entire ocean ecosystems at risk.
  • HSI/Canada has campaigned to end the shark fin trade for more than a decade. Globally, HSI has been at the forefront of a powerful movement to protect sharks and stop the trade of their fins through education, outreach, and legislative efforts.
  • Canada is the largest importer of shark fins outside of Asia.
  • Every year, up to 100 million sharks are killed to satisfy global demand for their fins and their parts, threatening one-third of open ocean sharks with extinction. Every single hour, over 11,000 sharks are killed in the gruesome international shark fin trade.
  • As an apex predator, sharks hold the oceans in balance and their extinction would have significant effects on all other marine species.
  • Sharks grow slowly, mature late, and have relatively low rates of reproduction, making their populations highly vulnerable to the impacts of overfishing.

Media Contact: Christopher Paré – office: 514 395-2914 x 206 / cell: 438 402-0643, email: cpare@hsi.org

The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International found imperiled wildlife parts for sale, possibly violating Nevada law, and canned lion hunts for sale in violation of SCI’s own rules

Humane Society International / United States

WASHINGTON – An undercover investigation by the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International revealed dozens of items made from imperiled wildlife for sale last week at the Safari Club International convention in Reno, Nevada. These items included elephant skin furniture, paintings on elephant ears, hippo skulls and teeth, and stingray skin belts. SCI is one of the world’s largest trophy hunting advocacy groups. Offering these items for sale likely violates Nevada state law on wildlife trafficking, and HSUS and HSI have reported their findings to enforcement authorities.

The investigation also found that canned lion hunts, the sale of which SCI banned at its conventions as of February 4, 2018, were easily available for purchase in Reno last week.

Kitty Block, acting president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States and president of Humane Society International, said: “The world’s leading trophy hunting industry group is apparently promoting, enabling, and profiting from the illegal wildlife trade and unethical hunting practices. Conservation laws and hunting ethics are thrown out the window by SCI when financial profit is involved, driving iconic wildlife such as African elephants toward extinction.

“Making money off the opportunity to kill these animals for bragging rights is something that most people around the world find appalling. It’s an elitist hobby of the 1 percent, and there is no place for trophy hunting in today’s world.”

As of January 1, 2018, it is unlawful for any person within the state of Nevada to “purchase, sell, offer for sale or possess with intent to sell any item that it, wholly, or partially, made of an animal part or byproduct derived from a shark fin, a lion of the species Panthera leo or any species of elephant, rhinoceros, tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, pangolin, sea turtle, ray, mammoth, narwhal, walrus or hippopotamus.” Nev. Rev. Stat. § 597.905.

The investigators found more than a dozen convention vendors offering for sale and possessing with intent to sell wildlife products that appear to violate this law. The items include:

  • Paintings on elephant ears and skins;
  • An elephant skin bench;
  • Elephant leather boots, shoes, chaps, belts, and saddles;
  • Bracelets made from elephant hair;
  • An entire mammoth tusk;
  • Mammoth tusk carvings;
  • Stingray skin boots, shoes, belts and purses;
  • Boxes of hippo teeth;
  • A hippo skull table;
  • Hippo leather belts and boots;
  • Shark skin belts;
  • A knife with a handle made of narwhal tusk.

Investigators also found “canned” lion hunts for sale, in which customers can pay to shoot a captive-bred African lion in an enclosed area from which it cannot escape. Canned hunts are internationally scorned, and SCI claims that it does not allow such lion hunts to be sold at its conventions. Yet vendors, in an attempt to attract bookings of such hunts, showed investigators sample pictures of types of lions that may be killed, priced according to the age and size of the animal and his mane. One conference attendee told the investigators that he and his children participated in a canned hunt, killing “their” lion within 90 minutes. Canned hunt operators described baiting lions with meat, which they said they could do ahead of a trophy hunter’s arrival, to save time. One canned hunt operator told investigators if they wanted to kill a really big lion, he could special order one.

The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International are releasing their investigation while the Dallas Safari Club convention is underway in Dallas, Texas, with some of the same vendors that were at the SCI convention last week. While Texas does not have the same laws prohibiting the sale of wildlife products as Nevada, the Dallas Safari Club has stated that it too opposes captive bred lion hunting. At least six exhibitors selling canned lion hunts at the SCI convention are also at the DSC convention. These include De Klerk Safaris, whose representatives told investigators that they buy lions from breeders and could special order a really big lion, and Mabula Pro Safaris, whose representative told investigators that they are the biggest breeder of lions in South Africa.

The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International submitted its findings in writing to the Nevada Department of Wildlife on January 10, requesting investigation and enforcement of Nevada law. Any person who violates this law is guilty of a gross misdemeanor for the first offense, a category E felony for a second offense, and a category D felony for a third offense, in addition to civil penalties of up to $6,500.

Investigation Report HERE.

Photos/Video of the investigation HERE.

Media Contacts:

Rodi Rosensweig, 203-270-8929, RRosensweig@humanesociety.org

Nancy Hwa, 202-596-0808 (cell), nhwa@hsi.org

Humane Society International

Lion exploitation graphic
Patrick George of PatrickGeorgebooks with @youthforlions.

Social media is flooded with heart-warming images of visitors cuddling lion cubs and “rescued” lions walking peacefully alongside visitors and volunteers. However, the interaction with these animals is falsely portrayed. The cuddled and petted cubs and older lions are anything but safe, loved and rescued from an otherwise doomed life.

The truth is, South Africa has a dark secret. At least 7,800 lions are suffering in captivity — legally.

Breeders tear the lion cubs away from their mothers at just a few days old, only to offer them as living photo props and fake “orphans” for paying volunteers to hand-raise, and tame them for a life of exploitation. In the wild, cubs remain with their mothers for approximately 18 months before becoming fully independent and females typically rest for over 6 months (± 7-72 months on South African managed reserves) between births. The removal of days-old cubs forces the females into a stressful life of exhausting and endless breeding. Also, the conditions in which the captive-bred lions live are shocking; these wild cats are confined to tiny enclosures, sometimes without adequate food, hygiene and the ability to express natural behaviors.

When the tame cubs are a few months old, their “job description” changes. Many facilities offer “walk with” lion activities to unsuspecting tourists, but they never reveal that when these lions are older, they will be killed for the bone trade (bones being commonly exported to Asia for use in unproven traditional medicines) or sold to be killed by trophy hunters in “canned or captive-bred” lion hunts (the practice of shooting hand-reared, captive-bred lions in a fenced area from which they cannot escape).

Lions bred in captivity cannot be released back into the wild. The African Lion Working Group, with a membership of over 100 leading lion scientists and researchers, states clearly that “Captive breeding of lions for sport hunting, hunting of captive-bred lion and the associated cub petting industry are not conservation tools. In our opinion, they are businesses…”

In 2020, as part of engagements with the South African government on wildlife management, three open letters from scientists, NGOs and the tourism sector were sent to Minister Creecy, urging her to bring an end to South Africa’s captive lion breeding industry. These engagements contributed to the adoption of recommendations put forward by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment on matters of elephant lion, leopard and rhinoceros management, breeding, hunting, trade and handling, including the recommendation that the “Minister puts in place a process to halt and reverse the domestication of our iconic lions, through captive lion keeping, breeding, and commercial use, putting in place ethical and humane procedures for euthanasia of existing captive lions”. The authors determined that “the captive lion breeding industry did not contribute to conservation and was doing damage to South Africa’s conservation and tourism reputation.”

Humane Society International collaborated with the teams behind the award-winning films “Blood Lions“® and “Lions, Bones & Bullets” to end this cruel cycle of exploitation and to hold the South African government to its commitment to end the captive lion breeding industry. Offering these activities damages South Africa’s tourism brand and conservation efforts.

We are calling on tour operators to sign the “Born to Live Wild” pledge, committing to this statement:

  • Lions and other predators are wild species, and we wish to continue promoting Africa as an authentic, wild and rewarding tourism destination, and
  • We wish to continue our support and promotion of the formal conservation community in their endeavors to secure the survival of Africa’s predators in the wild.

More than 100 tour operators have already signed this pledge: http://www.bloodlions.org/born-to-live-wild/

Learn more

Watch for free: “Blood Lions”®—an award-winning documentary feature film that exposes the misleading claims made by the lion breeding and canned hunting industries in South Africa. https://vimeo.com/157818314

See Humane Society International/Africa Wildlife Director Audrey Delsink—in partnership with the team behind “Blood Lions”®—streaming live from Makalali Private Game and sharing a message that humane tourism is about witnessing these majestic big cats in the wild, not paying to pet them or walk with them.

Watch for free: “Lions, Bones & Bullets”—an award-winning investigative documentary that uncovers elaborate, international wildlife fraud worth nearly $100 million annually in South Africa’s controversial commercial captive lion industry and follows the wildlife trafficking trail to Laos and Viet Nam. https://www.waterbear.com/watch/lions-bones-bullets

Convention opens in Reno, Nevada, on January 9

Humane Society International / United States

WASHINGTON —Thousands of wildlife trophy hunters from around the world will gather in Reno, Nevada, for the annual Safari Club International convention January 9 through 12 at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. At the event, they will have access to nearly 900 exhibitors, including companies that sell the experience of killing the world’s most iconic animals — African elephants, lions and leopards, and North American cougars, bears and wolves, among others — for their heads, hides, and other body parts.

Kitty Block, acting president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States and president of Humane Society International, said, “The SCI convention is a huge gathering of people in the business of buying, selling and auctioning off dead animal parts and opportunities to slay wild animals for fun or bragging rights. SCI’s claim of concern for wildlife conservation is greatly undercut by its agenda of advocating and celebrating the killing of the planet’s most threatened species.”

Hundreds of hunts on every continent except Antarctica will be auctioned off at the convention to benefit SCI. In 2016, according to federal tax filings, the convention raised more than $7.7 million in net revenue for SCI. The annual convention is a major funding source for SCI’s operations and agenda to influence pro-trophy hunting government policy. SCI’s political action committee, the Hunter Defense Fund, works to elect pro-trophy hunting politicians.

The SCI Record Book belies its claim that it is a conservation organization, offering members the opportunity to compete to win nearly 50 awards for killing elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos, bears, wolves, antelopes and other animals. In 2015, the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International analyzed the SCI books and found that since 1959, SCI members have killed at least 2,007 African lions, 1,888 African leopards, 791 African elephants, and 572 rhinos, including 93 critically endangered black rhinos as of that publication date, with more animals killed since then. The most prolific trophy hunters are awarded the World Hunting Award ring, which some have called the “Super Bowl ring of hunting.”

Block added: “We urge everyone, including government decision-makers, to challenge the conservation claims made by SCI and call them out as an industry group with a product to sell that is not beneficial to anyone, least of all imperiled wildlife.”

The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International urge the public to speak out against trophy hunting.

PHOTOS HERE from 2016 SCI Convention

Media Contacts:

Rodi Rosensweig, 203-270-8929, RRosensweig@humanesociety.org

Nancy Hwa, 202-676-0808 (direct), 202-596-0808 (cell), nhwa@hsi.org

Humane Society International

Overview

Millions of animals suffer and die every year for fashion. Confined in small, wire-mesh cages on factory farms or captured by brutal metal traps in the wild, their fur is turned into frivolous keychain trinkets or trim on coats and hats.

 

HSI/Canada applauds BC government leadership in protecting bears

Humane Society International / Canada

benkrut/istock

MONTREAL—Effective immediately, the Government of British Columbia has ended hunting of grizzly bears throughout the province. The move follows a longstanding campaign by animal welfare, conservation and First Nations groups seeking full protection for grizzlies. Humane Society International/Canada commends the BC Government for heeding public opinion and ensuring that trophy hunting of grizzlies is truly stopped in BC.

Rebecca Aldworth, executive director of Humane Society International/Canada, issued the following statement applauding the ban:

“The BC government has shown strong leadership and wise governance in ending the hunting of grizzlies throughout the province. The decision eliminates loopholes that would have allowed trophy hunting of grizzlies to continue, while respecting the will of the overwhelming majority of BC residents. Grizzly hunting has no place in the 21st century, and today’s announcement is a crucial step forward in protecting these majestic animals from senseless cruelty.”

Globally, HSI has been at the forefront of a powerful movement to stop cruel trophy hunting for good by blocking the trade in wildlife trophies, strengthening legal protections for wild animals, and educating the public about the devastating impacts of trophy hunting.

Facts:

  • Trophy hunters have killed hundreds of grizzlies each year in British Columbia.
  • Trophy hunting results in high wounding rates, with wild animals routinely left to suffer for extended periods of time before hunters retrieve them.
  • Public opinion polling reveals that more than 90 percent of BC residents oppose trophy hunting.
  • Grizzlies are listed as a species of “Special Concern” by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.
  • A 2013 study published in the Public Library of Science found that trophy hunting may be causing declines in bear populations, and that hunters were exceeding government quotas in half of the populations studied.
  • Further independent studies have found that former government estimates of bear populations in BC are inaccurately high and, in reality, populations are too low to sustain current hunting levels.
  • A 2012 study by the Center for Responsible Travel and Stanford University found that bear-viewing businesses in BC’s Great Bear Rainforest generated 12 times more visitor spending than bear hunting.

Humane Society International

Repina-Valeriya/Shutterstock

Species factsheets

Learn more about key trophy-hunted species: African elephants, leopards, lions, giraffes, black rhinos, European brown bears and grey wolves.

Trophy Hunting by the Numbers report series

Trophy Hunting by the Numbers: The United States’ Role in Global Trophy Hunting
This report reveals that American hunters imported more than 72,600 hunting trophies from CITES-listed mammals from across the world between 2014 and 2018. Most of these imports to the U.S. came from Canada and South Africa, while other top exporters include Namibia, Zimbabwe, Argentina, Tanzania, Mexico, Zambia, Russia and Tajikistan. The most common wild-sourced species imported into the U.S. over the period were American black bear, chacma baboon, Hartmann’s mountain zebra, gray wolf and leopard.

Trophy Hunting by the Numbers: The European Union’s role in global trophy hunting
The EU is the world’s second-largest importer of mammal trophies, second only to the U.S. Between 2014 and 2018, the EU imported nearly 15,000 hunting trophies of 73 internationally protected species. Over those five years, the number of trophies coming into the EU increased by 40%, despite opinion polls indicating that the vast majority of EU citizens surveyed are against trophy hunting.

Trophy Hunting by the Numbers: South Africa
This study provides details on South Africa’s role in the international trade in hunting trophies of mammal species listed under the CITES during the most recent five-year period for which data were available at time of publication (2014-2018). South Africa exported more trophies over the period than any other African country based on importer reported data, with the African lion being the most commonly exported species.

Films

“Blood Lions”®
This award-winning documentary feature film exposes the misleading claims made by the lion breeding and canned hunting industries. “Blood Lions”® follows acclaimed environmental journalist and safari operator Ian Michler, and American hunter, Rick Swazey, on their journey to uncover the realities of the multi-million dollar predator breeding and canned lion hunting industries in South Africa. See: bloodlions.org/the-film

“Lions, Bones & Bullets”
This award-winning investigative documentary follows the wildlife trafficking trail from South Africa to Laos and Viet Nam uncovering elaborate, international wildlife fraud worth nearly $100 million annually in South Africa’s controversial commercial captive lion industry. See: waterbear.com/watch/lions-bones-bullets

“Trophy hunting: an unnecessary evil”
People with a vested interest in trophy hunting use several arguments to defend it, including that it is a ‘necessary evil for conservation and development’. HSI/UK put these arguments to African conservation experts and community leaders. This is their testimony.

Reports

The Lion’s Share: On the Economic Benefits of Trophy Hunting
This report debunks inflated claims that trophy hunting is a critical contributor to African economies and jobs. It also proves that the non-hunting tourism industry has a much brighter future in Africa.

The $200 Million Question: How Much Does Trophy Hunting Really Contribute to African Communities?
This report analyzes literature on the economics of trophy hunting and reveals that African countries and rural communities derive very little benefit from trophy hunting revenue.

Trophy Madness Report: Elite Hunters, Animal Trophies and Safari Club International’s Hunting Awards
This report reveals that a hunting membership group, Safari Club International, promotes the senseless slaughter of wildlife for sport by offering its members the opportunity to compete to win nearly 50 awards for killing elephants, lions, rhinos, leopards, bears, ringed-horn antelopes, wild sheep, ibex, moose, and many other animals around the world.

Cecil 2: Trophy Hunting America’s Lion
This report reveals that the top five deadliest states for mountain lions are Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Utah and Arizona. Between 2005 and 2014, trophy hunters killed approximately 29,000 mountain lions in the U.S.; an estimated 2,700 more were killed in other countries and traded internationally over the last decade.

Eco-Tourism Worth More to African Economies Than Trophy Hunting by Michael Markarian
The HSUS’s former Chief Program and Policy Officer shows that wildlife-based eco-tourism is a big industry in Africa and dwarfs trophy hunting in its economic impact.

Humane Society International / Global

Rats and mice live alongside us, thrive because of us, and survive in spite of our attempts to eradicate them. While they mean us no harm, the presence of unwanted rodent visitors can, at times, undoubtedly cause problems for people, In order to ‘control’ them, a selection of products is available including repellent sprays, ultrasonic devices, poisons and several different types of traps, some lethal and some intended for live release.

HSI advocates that the default solution should be to implement humane methods of deterrence and eviction instead of killing them. This is for two important reasons:

  • Killing mice and rats typically causes suffering. This may be brief but is often drawn out over hours, days or even — in the case of some poisons — weeks.
  • Lethal methods do not offer a viable long-term solution. Treating the symptom by eliminating a single rat/mouse — or even an entire colony — is ultimately futile unless the conditions that encouraged them to take up residence in the first place are addressed. Over time, others will simply move in to the vacated territory.

Prevention and deterrence

Like all animals, rats and mice require food and shelter and will seek out easily accessible sources of both. Rats prefer to be outside but mice like to live indoors and can enter your home by squeezing through very small spaces, for example air vents, and gaps around gas and water pipes. Prevention is better than cure: seal off holes and don’t tempt mice and rats in with easily accessible food supplies. The food that we throw way in our rubbish or compost bin, leave out for our companion animals and put out for wild animals whose visits we do enjoy, such as hedgehogs and birds, provides rats and mice with a tempting buffet. Many rat ‘infestations’ are the result of bird-feeding.

As soon as a rat or mouse problem is identified, it is important to take swift action. Identify the source of food that attracted them and remove it. Humanely remove the animals and then seal up holes to keep others from gaining entry.

Home and Kitchen:

  • Mice need only around one tenth of an ounce of food each day: crumbs are enough to sustain them. Clean (and keep clean) all areas where food and crumbs may have dropped, such as under the toaster and down the sides of the cooker and fridge.
  • Store rodent-susceptible food (e.g. crackers, cereal, pasta, bread, chocolate) in cupboards in metal or glass containers.
  • Bags of dry cat/dog food should also be stored in rodent-proof containers and not left out in cellars, basements or cupboards.
  • Do not leave out cat or dog food in dishes overnight.
  • Rodents have been found to avoid the smell of peppermint, spearmint or eucalyptus. Soak cotton wool balls in one of these oils ensuring they smell very strongly and leave along work surfaces, underneath units and anywhere that could be an entry point. Refresh the oil for several weeks after you believe they have gone to discourage them from returning.
  • Block all potential access holes with wire wool, ’mouse mesh’ (available online), or a strong sealant that will harden quickly. Don’t use caulk or other rubber or plastic fillers because mice can easily chew through them.

Please note: Plug-in ultrasonic devices are not reliable.

Lofts, basements and sheds:

  • Soak rags in a non-toxic repellent liquid (available from some hardware and DIY stores or online) and leave in the corners.
  • Rub peppermint, spearmint or eucalyptus oil along beams and other areas where rodents travel.

Garden:

  • Stop feeding birds in your garden to encourage the rats to move on. Only resume once you are sure they have gone.
  • If you choose to resume bird-feeding, do not throw food on the ground, put it in feeders with trays underneath and do not hang the feeders close to your house or trees. Put food out little and often and do not leave uneaten food on the ground overnight.
  • Keep grass short, thin out shrubs, remove cover such as piles of wood and get rid of clutter.
  • If you know where their runs are, expose the tunnels and place obstacles such as pebbles and leaves in the entrance/exit points (so as to cause an annoyance but not block the hole). Used cat litter can also be tipped down burrows. This will encourage them to relocate.
  • Grow mint, spearmint and/or citronella plants.
  • Animal-repelling products from garden centres and DIY shops can be scattered or sprayed but should obviously not be used if you have a companion cat or dog. Urine-soaked cat litter can also be an effective deterrent.

Live capture and release

Unfortunately, unless mice leave of their own volition, even with the best of intentions it is very difficult to deal with them in a way that doesn’t involve some risk for them or their offspring. Catching animals and releasing them away from the home should only be a last resort if you have not been able to encourage them to leave of their own accord. Whilst it is undoubtedly preferable to a slow and certain death from poisoning, there is no guarantee that indoor mice will survive in unfamiliar territory outside if they have been inside for generations, and their chances will be reduced further by cold weather. They may also leave behind young, dependent animals in the nest, who will perish. If you do need to address the situation urgently, either purchase a humane trap (available in some DIY/garden centres and hardware stores) or follow these steps for making a home-made version. Whichever trap you use it must be checked first thing in the morning, last thing at night and at least once more during the day and the animal released as soon as possible.

  • Use ‘mouse-mesh’ (available online) to cover air-vents and air bricks and use copper/wire wool or rapidly hardening sealer to block gaps around pipes in outside walls. Put draught excluders under outside doors to ensure that gaps are no more than 5mm.
  • Place a small plastic or metal wastepaper bin, around 28 cm deep, where signs of mice have been found, with a little shredded paper and some food in the bottom, for example peanut butter (do not use cheese).
  • Cover the top of the bin with a book, for example, leaving a 2cm gap on one side.
  • Use a pile of newspapers to make a ‘staircase’ next to the bin so that they can climb to the top and peer in through the gap. Upon smelling the food they should drop down to reach it, landing on the shredded paper, which will cushion their fall and allow them to feel safe whilst they are captive.
  • Captured mice should be released in the garden in dense vegetation (such as a hedge) or, even better, near a shed under which they can shelter, as far from the house as possible.
  • If, through gentle examination and being careful not to be bitten, you are able to ascertain that a female mouse is lactating, which would indicate young in the nest, you must make a decision as to how you wish to proceed. The humane choices are to let her go and readdress the problem later or search for the nest and relocate the family to somewhere safe and contained so you can release mother and young when they have grown.

After animals have been evicted or captured and released, it is vital that they are prevented from re-entering. Determining points of entry from outside to in is especially important.

Humane Society International / Global

Dr. William J. Weber/istock

Q: What are glue traps?

A: Glue traps, also known as glue boards, are trays coated with an extremely strong adhesive. Any animal who touches one becomes stuck and is unable to escape.

Q: Do glue traps kill the animals?

A: No. The animal is immobilised but not killed outright.

Q: What happens to animals caught by a glue trap?

A: Depending on how frequently the trap is checked, animals can be stuck anywhere from a hours to days. They may be trapped on their side, or face down, by all legs or just one, and will often cry out in distress. Trapped animals struggle to free themselves and may become more and more embedded in the glue. Some rodents break bones and tear off, or even bite through, their own limbs in an attempt to free themselves. After a fruitless struggle, they may succumb to exhaustion, collapse face down in the glue, and die of suffocation when the glue lodges in their nasal passages. Most often death comes from a combination of exhaustion and dehydration. This can take hours or even days.

Q: Do glue boards pose a risk to other animals?

A: Yes, glue traps are indiscriminate. Although typically used to catch mice and rats, there have been many reported incidents of non-target animals becoming trapped, including protected species like wild birds and bats, hedgehogs, fox cubs and even pet cats. The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission has concluded that there is ‘an undeniable risk of capture of non-target species”.

Q: Are glue boards a risk to humans?

A: Through no fault of their own, rodents are vectors for certain diseases, which are transmitted through their urine and faeces. Panicked animals will defecate and urinate out of stress and fear, meaning anyone handling a glue board with an animal stuck to it could potentially be exposed to disease organisms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the leading public health authorities in the US, advise against the use of glue traps for these reasons. Picking up a trap with a live animal stuck to it may also lead to the person’s being bitten.

Q: Where are glue traps banned?

A: In 2022, following advocacy efforts by HSI and other groups, the UK Government prohibited the use of glue traps across England under the Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022, except for user holding a government-granted licence. Glue traps have already been outlawed in other countries, including Ireland, New Zealand, the Australian state of Victoria and Iceland. While in some countries, these traps remain widely available online as well as in corner shops, DIY and garden centres, hardware stores, the list of countries banning them is growing. The Scottish and Welsh governments have now also announced their intentions to implement a ban.

Q: What should you do if you find a glue trap, or if you have a live animal on a glue board?

A: If you live in England it is an offence to fail to disable a glue trap you have found where there is a risk of it capturing a rodent, without reasonable excuse. In some countries, it is the legal responsibility of the person who laid the trap to kill the animal ‘quickly and humanely’, However, the vast majority of glue trap packaging does not make this clear, nor carry any instructions for how to do it. In fact, our research found that fifty per cent of people wouldn’t know what to do with a live animal attached to a trap, or would deal with it in ways that would cause suffering and even be illegal under some countries’ animal welfare laws.

It is very difficult for untrained individuals to release an animal from a glue board without running the risk of inflicting further injuries, or possibly being injured themselves. Once unstuck, even if an animal appears unharmed, s/he could be injured in ways that aren’t immediately visible, or could need treatment for dehydration or exhaustion.

In all cases, please treat an animal caught on a glue board as an emergency. Here are instructions on how to help an animal caught in a glue trap.

Q: If a mouse or rat is suffering on a glue trap and can’t be released, is there a humane way of killing them?

A: The only method of killing a rodent on a glue trap that is regarded as ‘humane’ is with one sharp blow to the head. However this requires a firm, unwavering resolve and many people may find themselves too frightened, squeamish or upset to be able to do it. Forum users divulging details of what they have done with glue-trapped animals list leaving the animal to die on the trap, drowning the animal or throwing the trap away with a live animal still attached as methods of dispatch, all of which would cause unacceptable suffering.

Q: Is drowning an option?

A: No. The professional pest control industry and scientists agree that drowning is not humane. One experiment found the average time it takes for a rat to drown is 2.6 minutes. Setting an important legal precedent, in 2010 a man was convicted under the UK Animal Welfare Act of causing unnecessary suffering after he drowned a squirrel in a water butt.

Q: Are glue boards an effective long-term method of rodent control?

A: No. These devices may be effective at catching individual, or even a few, animals but they do not provide a long-term solution. Unless the conditions that encouraged the animals to take up residence in the first place are addressed and animals humanely evacuated and prevented from returning, it is highly likely that, over time, others will simply move into the vacated territory.

Q: What should you do if you have mice in the house or rats in the garden?

A: There are non-lethal ways of dealing with unwanted rodent visitors that are not only more humane, but also far more effective in the long-term, too. Read more about humane rodent solutions.

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