Undercover footage from Llandegla Forest has sparked a major police investigation in North Wales. Captured by the Green Britain Foundation, the video shows individuals allegedly setting up cruel snares near a so-called stink pit, designed to lure wildlife with animal carcasses. It’s a huge concern since snares were outlawed in Wales back in October 2023, marking the first such ban in the UK, with Scotland following suit in 2024.
The footage, taken between June and August, initially spotted four live snares and individuals appearing to adjust them. By July, the disturbing presence of red-legged partridges’ carcasses was noted at the stink pit. The police were alerted on August 25, and an investigation by the North Wales Police Rural Crime Team is now underway.
Dale Vince, the founder of the Green Britain Foundation, has spoken out, labelling snares as a “medieval cruelty” and urging the UK Government to extend the ban to England. Snares don’t discriminate and pose a lethal threat to a wide range of wildlife, often used in the controversial business of bird shooting for sport.
As investigations continue, the call for bans on these cruel traps grows louder, with the aim of preventing future cruelty and protecting our precious wildlife. Let’s hope for a swift and decisive action to bring justice and further the protection of wildlife not just in Wales and Scotland but across the UK.