Aizawl: The Mizoram government has instructed all district administrations to curb the use and sale of glue traps used for rodent control, an official of the state Animal Husbandry and Veterinary (AH&V) department said.
The official said that the government took the decision following an appeal from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India.
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PETA India in October last year had urged the Mizoram government to ban the manufacture, sale and use of deadly glue traps for rodent control.
The AH&V department official said that action taken in regard to curbing the use and sale of glue traps was informed to the advocacy body last month.
In its letter issued to all deputy commissioners in December last year, the AH&V department had urged district administrations “to take all necessary steps to curb the use and sale of glue traps within their jurisdiction” citing use of glue traps for catching rats violates the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, as well as the Wild Life (Protection) Act (WPA), 1972.
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Last year, the state government also banned the use of severely restrictive gestation and farrowing crates in pig farming following an appeal from PETA.
Meanwhile, PETA India lauded the Mizoram government for its measure to curb the use and sale of glue traps.
The advocacy in a statement on Tuesday said that it strongly commended the state government for enforcing the law to protect animals.
In its appeal to state governments earlier, PETA India had brought to attention the indiscriminate nature of glue traps, which ensnarl not only rodents but also “non-target” animals, including birds, squirrels, reptiles, and frogs, causing excruciating pain leading to a slow, torturous death of the trapped animal, the statement said.
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“The sellers of glue traps sentence small animals to slow, excruciating deaths and can turn buyers into lawbreakers,” PETA India Advocacy Officer Farhat Ul Ain was quoted as saying in the statement.
Earlier, circulars prohibiting the manufacture, sale, and use of glue traps were issued by Chhattisgarh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, it said.
It said that the use of glue traps, which cause unnecessary suffering to animals, is a punishable offence under Section 11 of the PCA Act, 1960.
PETA India notes that the best way to control rodent populations is to make the area unattractive or inaccessible to them: eliminate food sources by keeping surfaces and floors clean and storing food in chew-proof containers, sealing trash cans, and using ammonia-soaked cotton balls or rags to drive 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 a source to find adequate food, water, and shelter to help them survive.