The Evil Fur Trade

Ten million animals are trapped for their fur each year. The United States,
Canada, and Russia produce most of the worlds wild fur. Every time an
animal is trapped for its fur, approximately two "nontar!et" animals are also
cau!ht. These nontar!et animals include s"uirrels, opossums, do!s, cats and
even endan!ered species and #irds of prey that are attracted to the food
around the snares or inside the ca!es.
The steel $aw le!hold trap is the most common %ind of trap used #y fur
trappers, followed #y the wire snare and the Coni#ear #ody!rippin! trap
which crushes the animal.
Ei!htyei!ht countries and five US states have #anned the le!hold trap
#ecause it is so cruel and #ecause it simply traps any animal that steps into
it. &owever, the US Con!ress has not yet #anned this device, despite
surveys showin! that '() of *mericans oppose it.
*nimals are left in these traps for #etween one and three days, and
sometimes lon!er. The animals often die from starvation, hypothermia,
dehydration or an attac% #y another animal. +therwise, the trapper shoots
them, stomps them or clu#s them.
,any animals chew off their own lim#s in a desperate attempt at escape.
This is especially common in racoons. * -./0 study found that as many as one
out of every four racoons cau!ht in a le!hold trap would chew its foot off to
escape. Some companies manufacture padded le!hold traps to ma%e them
seem less cruel. *nimals cau!ht in padded traps are still exposed to the
weather and predators until the trapper returns to %ill them. Research has
shown that padded traps cause in$ury to .') of the coyotes that they
ensnare. ,any animals %noc% out their teeth as they #ite at the $aws of the
traps.
There are -10,000 trappers in the United States. 2isconsin, ,innesota,
3ennsylvania, +hio and ,ichi!an are the main trappin! states.

QUESTIONS
1. a) How many animals are trapped for their fur every year
!) "ppro#imately how many other animals are trapped at the same time
(You need to do some Maths!)
$. Name three %ountries where fur trappin& is done.

'. (hat is a )non*tar&et) animal


+. How do )non*tar&et) animals &et trapped


,. Is the le&*hold trap !anned in the US" (Read carefully!)


-. True or .alse
"nimals %au&ht in le&*hold traps
are sometimes left there for two days.
often die from hun&er.
often die !e%ause they have no water to drin/.
usually !leed to death.
are sometimes /illed !y predators.
0. How do trappers /ill the animals they trap (Your answer should have three
parts.)


1. How do some animals es%ape from le&*hold traps


2. 3ist three reasons why padded le&*hold traps are also %ruel.