A free-running snare is a wire loop that relaxes when the animal caught in it stops pulling. In other words the snare is intended to be a ‘restraint device’ and not kill an animal outright. In practice an animal will rarely stop trying to escape and will keep pulling the snare tighter or become entangled. In law a snare is “free-running” if: it is not self-locking. it is not capable (whether because of rust, damage or other condition or matter) of locking. the noose of the snare is able at all times freely to become wider or tighten (and is not prevented from doing so whether because of rust, damage or other condition or matter other than the stop).