Manipur Government Bans Cruel Glue Traps in Response to PETA India Appeal
Following an appeal from PETA India, the Directorate of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Services, Government of Manipur, has issued a circular instructing the joint directors and deputy director of the department to ensure strict compliance with advisories circulated by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) against glue traps and urged that penal action be taken under Section 11 of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, against persons found in violation of the order. The circular also directs the aforementioned to “restrict/check the import/sale and use” of glue traps within their jurisdictions.
In its appeal, PETA India requested that Manipur take immediate steps to implement the AWBI’s prohibition against cruel and illegal glue traps. Similar circulars taking action on glue traps have been issued by the governments of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal.
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, and some even chew through their legs in a desperate attempt to escape 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.
The best way to control rodent populations is to make the area unattractive or inaccessible to them: eliminate food sources by keeping surfaces and floors clean and storing food in chew-proof containers, sealing trash cans, and using ammonia-soaked cotton balls or rags to drive rodents away (they hate the smell). After giving them a few days to leave, seal entry points using foam sealant, steel wool, hardware cloth, or metal flashing. Rodents can also be removed using humane cage traps but must be released where they will find adequate food, water, and shelter to help them survive.
