H.B. 1651: Prohibiting Trapping of Exotic Wildlife

in Oklahoma on February 16, 2015

Update (April 29, 2015): Success! The governor signed this bill into law.

Bill Description:
This bill extends a prohibition on traps, bait, poison, and other implements that currently exists for game mammals and all birds to include exotic wildlife.[teaserbreak]

“Exotic wildlife” is defined as all species of wildlife that are not indigenous to, or that may not be found in the wild in, the continental U.S.

Background:
Trapping is a barbaric, antiquated form of hunting. Animals caught in traps suffer immensely from their injuries, long periods of distress, and ultimately die an excruciating death. Many even gnaw off their own limbs in an effort to escape, often dying of a painful infection days later. Archaic killing methods for trapped animals – such as suffocation, drowning and poisoning – are widely used today. Read more on our trapping page.

Many other animals are injured by traps or die as “collateral damage,” including endangered species and family pets. (See our Trapping Incidents Database for more information.) Even one such tragedy is too many, and these types of incidents are sadly all too common.

Read the full text here.

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