Ban Glue Traps

In the past few days, we have admitted a couple of glue trap victims. This Carolina Wren was fortunate enough to make it through the ordeal fairly unscathed, but is still being watched closely by Rehab Staff.

It is very important to know the effects that glue traps have on the animals who encounter them. When caught and without intervention, they will struggle for days or weeks (depending on the species) until they either starve, have heart attacks from the stress, or are caught by other animals. They will break and bite their own limbs in attempts to free themselves. Birds will break and tear out their feathers. Although first instinct when finding an animal stuck to a glue trap is to pull them off, the best thing you can do is cover them up with a towel and move them to a dark, quiet place while you call a licensed rehabilitator who can assist.

Pulling an animal off of a glue trap without proper sedation/handling can push the animal into distress and cause more damage to feathers, skin, and bones.

Avian species are highly sensitive to these situations. The skeletal system of birds is extremely fragile, and the stress of removal from glue traps causes capture myopathy and death in most situations. Without sedatives and proper handling/experience in the removal of birds from glue traps, almost all of these birds die from stress within 24 hours of admit.

This particular wren was brought to us, glue trap still attached. We were able to properly sedate and remove him from the trap with minimal damage to feathers and skeletal structure. Some of his feathers had to be pulled, but he is looking very good otherwise. He will be with us until his feathers grow back. There is still concern about capture myopathy, even days after admit, so this individual's prognosis is guarded.

Before putting glue traps down, please think about all of the native and non-native species they impact and the unmitigated suffering they cause.