Police have issued a warning after a fox was found in an illegal snare.
During December 2015, police in Caithness were alerted to a fox in an untagged snare on a remote property. As such officers attended and found the snare illegally set by way of having no identification tag. The individual responsible for setting the snare was cautioned and charged in relation to the offence.
Divisional Wildlife Crime Liaison Officer PC Daniel Sutherland said: “The incorrect and illegal use of snares is a wildlife crime and will be investigated accordingly. Snaring is a lawful means of controlling foxes and rabbits providing that they are of the correct construction and that they are set by authorised persons in a correct fashion, so as to reduce the chance of capture of non-target species.
“It’s imperative that snares are correctly used and that they are fully regulated to help prevent the killing and unnecessary suffering of non-target species and other animals. It should also be noted that it’s an offence to set snares in places where captured animals are likely to become fully or partially suspended or drown.
“I would like to thank the public for their support and ask that they continue to report incidents of wildlife crime to Police Scotland.”