Lithuania eyes ban on leg-hold traps after pets ensnared

Lithuanian lawmaker Linas Jonauskas plans to propose a ban on the possession and use of leg-hold traps, commonly known as "bear traps" (kapkanai), citing a rise in domestic animals becoming ensnared. The proposed amendments to the Hunting Law and the Code of Administrative Offenses aim to prohibit the keeping, manufacturing, purchasing, selling, and use of these devices, while also increasing penalties for their possession.

Jonauskas noted that these traps are frequently used not only for hunting but also to capture neighbors' pets, such as cats and dogs, as well as wild animals like wild boar and foxes. "You can find many advertisements selling animal leg-hold traps. As long as there is trade in such traps, we will only encourage the use of such inhumane measures and also help poachers acquire the tools," Jonauskas told ELTA. He expressed hope that the upcoming autumn session of the Seimas will definitively end the trade and use of these traps.

A draft law amendment registered in May suggests exceptions only for displaying the traps in museums and for educational events. To deter trade in these prohibited hunting tools, Jonauskas also proposes stricter penalties, with fines potentially ranging from 600 to 1,700 euros for holding, manufacturing, buying, or selling snares and leg-hold traps intended for catching game animals. The new regulations are proposed to take effect from January 1, 2027.

Recent media reports highlighted a distressing incident in the Vilnius region where a cat became trapped in prohibited snares near a fence in a private yard and could not escape. The cat was reportedly rescued from the clamp-like trap, often called a "bear trap."

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You can find many advertisements selling animal leg-hold traps. As long as there is trade in such traps, we will only encourage the use of such inhumane measures and also help poachers acquire the tools.