Himachal: Ban on glue traps to curb animal cruelty

Shimla, January 29

The state government has issued a notification prohibiting the manufacturing, sale and use of glue traps following an appeal from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India.

The notification cites Section 11 of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, which prohibits causing unnecessary pain and suffering to animals. It emphasises the indiscriminate nature of glue traps, which may ensnare not only rodents, but also ‘non-target’ animals such as birds, squirrels, reptiles and frogs.

The PETA India had requested the state government to take immediate steps to implement circulars issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India, advising to prohibit the use of glue traps. The governments of Chhattisgarh, Goa, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and Telangana had also issued similar directions in the past.

The state government had demanded last year that action be taken against the manufacturing, sale, and use of gestation and farrowing crates in pig farming.

PETA India Advocacy Officer Farhat Ul Ain said, “The manufacturers and sellers of glue traps sentence small animals to hideously slow and painful death and can turn buyers into lawbreakers. We applaud the HP Government for taking steps to protect animals.”