Arunachal Pradesh stands up for rodents, bans cruel glue traps following PETA’s appeal

ITANAGAR: The Arunachal Pradesh Department of Animal Husbandry, Veterinary, and Dairy Development has issued a notification following an appeal from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, echoing advisories circulated by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), issuing a state-wide prohibition of the manufacture, sale, and use of glue traps to catch rodents. 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 who get trapped on the sticky boards. In its appeal, PETA India requested that the state take immediate steps to implement the AWBI’s directions against glue traps.

“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,” says PETA India Advocacy Officer Farhat Ul Ain. 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 also makes their use 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 become 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, stated a press release.

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