Arunachal Pradesh bans rat glue traps. Here's why
Arunachal Pradesh has banned the manufacture, sale, and use of glue boards for trapping rats and mice within the state, terming it illegal and a violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act of 1960.
The ban was initiated in response to an appeal from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India and was officially announced by Bidoi Tayeng, the state commissioner of animal husbandry, veterinary, and dairy development. According to the notification issued last week, glue traps, also known as glue boards or sticky traps, are used illegally to control the rodent population, including rats and mice.
The notification emphasizes the cruelty associated with glue traps, explaining that small animals become ensnared by their feet or fur when attempting to cross them.
Once trapped, these animals are unable to free themselves and eventually suffer slow and painful deaths due to starvation, exposure, dehydration, suffocation, predation, or self-mutilation while attempting to escape.
PETA India has praised the Arunachal Pradesh government for taking this humane step to protect animals, no matter how small, and for sparing them from inhumane and protracted deaths. The organization also highlighted that glue traps are ineffective in the long term and often lead to a vicious cycle of killing, as more rodents are prompted to move in due to an initial increase in the food supply.
To address rodent populations more effectively, PETA India recommends making areas unattractive or inaccessible to rodents.
