Approved Humane Traps

Following the Nationwide ban of the leg hold gin traps in 1958 suitable substitutes had to be found to control rabbits and small ground vermin at the hands of the gamekeeper and pest controller. Over a number of years previously an open competition had been held to provide a noteworthy and utterly reliable humane trap, to be approved for use by the Ministry of Agriculture. Four traps were initially accepted and others were gradually introduced later on, and the original traps were developed further over time to increase their effectiveness and ‘humaneness’.

The early types of traps and their prototypes coupled with the trap maker’s inventions that never quite made it into production are highly sought after by collectors; myself included.

During the modernisation and development of each approved humane trap minor variations to the form and fabrication of each trap were implemented and some collectors will search for the most seemingly minor alterations to the basic type for their collections.