RSPCA issue appeal after Fox dies after being caught in illegal trap

A fox has been found dead after getting caught in an illegal trap which has been banned since the 1960s.

The fox had a gin trap attached to one of its front paws and was picked up by the RSPCA after a member of the public reported it deceased on a private allotment near Rockwood Gardens in Greenside, Gateshead.

It is not known where the trap was set as it wasn’t anchored, and pets in the area could have also been potential victims.

Gin traps are mechanical devices which have spring-operated jaws with teeth or a serrated edge that snaps shut. They have been outlawed in the UK since 1958, though some are still used illegally to catch animals such as rabbits and foxes.

Species which are not targeted, such as cats, can often become trapped in the devices too and suffer horrendous and life-threatening injuries. Anyone who is found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal by setting a gin trap faces an unlimited fine and/or five years in prison.

Lucy Green, the RSPCA inspector who is investigating the incident, which was reported to the charity on January 6, said: “Because this wasn’t an anchored trap, we don’t know the exact location it was set at and it’s possible this poor fox may have dragged it for some distance in considerable pain and distress. It was a terrible sight to see a wild animal like this and worrying as this is a residential area where people are going to be walking dogs and where there are likely to be cats.

“These traps are illegal and barbaric and anyone setting one faces prosecution. They are totally indiscriminate in nature and have devastating consequences for animals, like we’ve seen here. We’d appeal to anyone with first-hand information about this incident to get in contact with us.”

The RSPCA has urged anyone with information to contact the RSPCA’s appeal line on 0300 123 8018 quoting incident number 01205565.