Himachal Pradesh govt bans glue traps to protect rodents following PETA appeal

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], January 27 : Following an appeal from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, the government of Himachal Pradesh has issued a notification prohibiting the manufacture, sale, and use of glue traps on Friday.
The notification cites Section 11 of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, which prohibits causing unnecessary pain and suffering to animals.
Through the notification, the government also emphasised that glue traps have an indiscriminate nature to ensnarl not only rodents but also "non-target" animals, including birds, squirrels, reptiles, and frogs.
In its appeal, PETA India had requested the state government to take immediate steps to implement circulars issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India advising a ban on glue traps.
Previously, the governments of Chhattisgarh, Goa, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana have issued circulars banning glue traps, according to media reports.
Last year, the government of Himachal Pradesh demanded action against the manufacture, sale, and use of cruel and illegal gestation and farrowing crates in pig farming.
"The manufacturers and sellers of glue traps sentence small animals to hideously slow and painful deaths and can turn buyers into lawbreakers," says PETA India Advocacy Officer Farhat Ul Ain while speaking to the press.
"PETA India applauds the Himachal Pradesh government for taking steps to protect animals, no matter how small, and for setting an example for the entire country to follow," he added.
The use of glue traps, which cause unnecessary suffering to the animals, is a punishable offence under Section 11 of the PCA Act, 1960, said PETA through its website.
According to PETA, glue traps often affect birds, squirrels, reptiles, and frogs which is in violation of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, which prohibits the "hunting" of protected indigenous species.
Mice, rats, and other animals caught in the devices 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, while some even chew through their limbs in a desperate bid for freedom and die from blood loss. Those found alive may be thrown away along with the trap or may endure death by bludgeoning or drowning.
PETA India, whose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to abuse in any way" notes that the best way to control rodent populations is to make the area unattractive or inaccessible to them.
PETA suggests eliminating food sources by keeping surfaces and floors clean and storing food in chew-proof containers, seal trash cans, and use of ammonia-soaked cotton balls or rags to drive the 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 near where they were found, as animals relocated outside their natural territory struggle to find adequate food, water, and shelter and can die as a result.