Animal trapping facts for kids

Wolf caught by a foothold trap

Cage trap with shade cloth to protect the animal from heat.

Animal trapping, or simply trapping, is the use of a special device to catch an animal. People have used traps for thousands of years. Animals may be trapped for many reasons. These include getting food, managing wildlife, hunting, and controlling pests.

There are many kinds of traps. For example, a deadfall trap is a deep hole dug in the ground and hidden. An animal falls into the hole and cannot get out. A snare is a loop that tightens around the neck or another part of the animal.

What is Animal Trapping?

Trapping means setting up a device to catch an animal. These devices are called traps. The main goal is to hold the animal so it cannot escape. People use traps for different purposes. These include studying animals, protecting farms from pests, or even for the fur trade.

Types of Traps

There are many different kinds of traps. Each one works in a unique way to catch an animal.

Simple Traps

• Deadfall traps: This trap is a deep hole dug in the ground. It is then covered with branches and leaves to hide it. An animal falls into the hole and cannot get out.
• Snares: A snare is a loop, like a noose, made of wire or rope. It is set up to tighten around an animal's neck or another body part when the animal steps into it.
• Cage traps: These traps look like cages. They catch animals alive and unharmed. They often have a door that closes when an animal enters to get bait.

Modern Traps

• Foothold traps: These traps are designed to hold an animal by its foot. They have two jaws that snap shut when an animal steps on a trigger plate. Modern foothold traps are made to hold animals without causing serious injury.
• Body-gripping traps: These traps are designed to kill an animal quickly and humanely. They work by snapping shut around the animal's body or neck. The Conibear trap is a well-known type of body-gripping trap.
• Glue traps: These traps use a very sticky surface to catch small animals like mice or insects. The animal gets stuck to the glue and cannot move.

Why Do People Trap Animals?

People trap animals for several important reasons. These reasons have changed over time.

Food and Fur

For thousands of years, people trapped animals for food. They also used animal furs for clothing and warmth. This was especially true in cold climates. The fur trade was a very important business in many parts of the world, like North America, for centuries.

Wildlife Management

Trapping is a tool used by wildlife experts. They use it to manage animal populations.

• Counting animals: Traps help experts catch animals to count them. This helps them understand how many animals are in an area.
• Moving animals: Sometimes, animals need to be moved to a new place. Traps allow experts to catch animals safely and release them somewhere else. This can help protect endangered species or control populations in certain areas.
• Controlling overpopulation: If there are too many animals of one kind, they can harm the environment or other animals. Trapping can help control these numbers.

Pest Control

Traps are often used to control animals that are considered pests.

• Protecting crops: Farmers use traps to keep animals like rodents or raccoons from eating their crops.
• Protecting homes: Traps are used in homes to catch mice, rats, or other small animals that can cause damage or spread diseases.

Safety and Rules

Trapping is often regulated by laws. These laws make sure that trapping is done safely and responsibly. They also help protect animal welfare. Trappers need to follow rules about where and when they can set traps. They also need to use specific types of traps.

Images for kids

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  Trap nets used to trap birds (tacuinum sanitatis casanatensis); 14th century.

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  Sketches of life in the Hudson's Bay Company territory, 1880

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  Size comparison between two common types of spring traps: rat trap (above), and the smaller mouse trap (below).

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  Trapped raccoon

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  A journal entry featuring photographs of wolves in traps by Vernon Orlando Bailey, 1909-1918

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  Double spring steel bear trap (no. 5, S. Newhouse) made at the Oneida Community in Oneida, New York during the mid-nineteenth century. The trap features a chain with a swivel snap at one end and a ring at the other; the spikes on its jaws point inward. Traps of this kind were commonly used for black bear trapping and were set with clamps (these types are not used any more)

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  Conibear model 220 body-gripping trap, set.

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  Trapped shrew

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  A small Paiute-style deadfall trap, made with dogbane cordage.

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  Bear trap at Großer Waldstein in Germany

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  A British spring trap set in a wire tunnel for small mammals

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  Glue trap