It is very difficult to know just how many animals are killed in snares as operators (mostly gamekeepers on shooting estates) are not required to keep accurate data – and even if they were it would be an impossible requirement to enforce. The shooting industry has expanded hugely since, but in 2012 a UK government study found that only around a quarter of the animals caught in snares were the intended targets (normally foxes) – but based on that long outdated research snares may be trapping up to 1,700,000 animals every year.