Defra guidelines (in an admittance that snares are not always as ‘humane’ as the industry likes to portray them) state that “Unless the animal is badly injured and has to be killed on humane grounds, it must be released immediately. It should be remembered that if humane despatch is deemed to be appropriate then the snare user may be called upon to justify their actions in a court of law.“ They go on to say that, “Releasing non-target animals from snares can be difficult but the following course of action should be followed. The animal’s struggles should be limited by shortening the wire so that it can then be cut at the noose in order to ensure that no part of the snare remains on the animal. The wire must never be cut anywhere else in the hope that the noose will fall off later.“ In reality there is a high risk that a trapped and frightened animal will bite or scratch a rescuer (especially a rescuer not used to handling wild animals), and the best advice is to call the RSPCA (on 0300 1234 999) or a local animal rescue immediately. There is no guarantee of an immediate response, of course, but they will always try to do what they can. It’s important to note that snares are legally someone’s property and – unlikely as it sounds – if caught damaging or removing them an individual could face charges and court.