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Fabric Animal Traps
These traps present an alternative design to cage and leghold traps. They
comprise a skeletal aluminium and steel frame with a nylon wool pack
covering. Animals are trapped when they tread on a trip plate which
collapses the frame. This happens by means of the hinged spring
activated top frame section swinging forward over the animals to contain
them in a bag like structure. The trip plate is positioned directly below the
top frame section when the trap is set. This enables animals to be caught
after just moving a few centimeters inside the fabric, in contrast to cage
traps whereby they are naturally wary about moving to the back of the trap
to trigger the trip mechanism. Our traps are accordingly good for normally
trap wary species such as wallabies and feral cats (possums are easy to
trap in almost any trap design!)
Traps are of a single size with frame 500 mm wide x 630 mm deep when sprung. The large nylon fabric bag extends 700 mm beyond the frame, with result that trapped animals have an area 0.5 m x 1.2 m in which to move comfortably, with light fabric draped over their body. The traps can comfortably accomodate animals to approximately 25 kg weight.
A steel peg attached by chain to the base of the front of the traps enables the traps to be anchored to the ground. This facilitates trap setting because it prevents the base rising when the upper section is raised to set the trap. (by simply pulling forward the supporting arm). The peg also prevents traps being moved by strong wind and by large contained wallabies.
The traps have provision to be locked open for extended periods, loaded with food, so they can then be set for maximum catch percentage when convenient. A standard nail positioned through the two halves of the locking arm provides lock-open ability and the top spring attachment is easily detached to prevent spring weakening after prolonged use in the extended position (we provide a special hook to facilitate spring detachment!)
The traps are especially humane because of the padding provided by the multiple thickness fabric covering of the upper and lower entrance framework sections, because contained animals have only soft fabric to jump against, and because they are contained in semi-darkness, for maximum calming effect. Extensive trials have demonstrated that trapped animals are only minimally stressed.and discomforted. Evidence for this comes from the ease with which animals return in subsequent nights to be re-trapped, in the fact that they normally continue to eat food after being contained, and in the fact that they inevitably go to sleep in the traps after daybreak. In order to gain approval for these wallaby traps we have had to conclusively demonstrate to the Tasmanian government that they are humane. This has involved extremely rigorous testing involving night time filming of over 100 animals being trapped, detailed examination of animals after a night in traps, Animal Ethics Committee approval for all trials, and an independent observer humane scientific examination on trapped possums and wallabies.
The effectiveness of the traps has been evaluated in many trials, where they compare more than favourably with all alternative approved trap designs. The key to their economic success rate, relative to alternative animal control methods, is to maintain a high average catch success rate, in the order of 50% per trap night for sustained periods. This can be achieved by a pre-feeding arrangement whereby animals are first attracted to a site by provision of food in locked open traps or in a simple feeder which looks like a real trap. Animals thus become used to eating from traps or trap- like structures which they cannot see through (a strange and rather daunting prospect to them initially because they normally graze where visibility is good all around!) For easily caught pest browsers such as possums and rufous wallabies, up to 10 traps can then be set near each feeder for just 1 - 3 nights after 7 - 10 days of free feeding provided by a single food provision of 3 - 10 kg of crushed grain. The traps can then be moved to the next feeder, normally about 200 metres away.
Setting traps takes just a few seconds. Removing and disposing of trapped pest animals averages approximately 2 minutes each, and moving from trap to trap averages about one minute per trap provided traps are set in groups. Food in the form of crushed or rolled barley or other grain is our preferred food. It costs in the order of $2 per trapped animal. We argue that a farmer might just as well provide grain to wallabies to assist their capture, as have them eat the grass so that grain or hay has to be fed to the livestock! Overall cost per animal removed should be expected to be in the order of $6 per animal (range $5 - $10) for all costs, including $1 per animal for the trap capital cost or rent component. Where travel time from base to trap location exceeds about half an hour the travel cost becomes significant. It is important to use local staff as far as possible to tend traps and to use as many traps as possible to contain the travel cost component. We recommend at least 20 -30 traps be deployed at any time for all but small holdngs of a few acres. Where travel time is significant 50 - 100 traps can be a more economic option.
Video clips of animals being trapped can be viewed on YouTube: -
Feral tabby cat trapped in fabric trap
Feral black cat trapped
Large rufous wallaby trapped in fabric trap
Brushtail possum trapped in FabricAnimalTrap
Another possum trapped
Traps are of a single size with frame 500 mm wide x 630 mm deep when sprung. The large nylon fabric bag extends 700 mm beyond the frame, with result that trapped animals have an area 0.5 m x 1.2 m in which to move comfortably, with light fabric draped over their body. The traps can comfortably accomodate animals to approximately 25 kg weight.
A steel peg attached by chain to the base of the front of the traps enables the traps to be anchored to the ground. This facilitates trap setting because it prevents the base rising when the upper section is raised to set the trap. (by simply pulling forward the supporting arm). The peg also prevents traps being moved by strong wind and by large contained wallabies.
The traps have provision to be locked open for extended periods, loaded with food, so they can then be set for maximum catch percentage when convenient. A standard nail positioned through the two halves of the locking arm provides lock-open ability and the top spring attachment is easily detached to prevent spring weakening after prolonged use in the extended position (we provide a special hook to facilitate spring detachment!)
The traps are especially humane because of the padding provided by the multiple thickness fabric covering of the upper and lower entrance framework sections, because contained animals have only soft fabric to jump against, and because they are contained in semi-darkness, for maximum calming effect. Extensive trials have demonstrated that trapped animals are only minimally stressed.and discomforted. Evidence for this comes from the ease with which animals return in subsequent nights to be re-trapped, in the fact that they normally continue to eat food after being contained, and in the fact that they inevitably go to sleep in the traps after daybreak. In order to gain approval for these wallaby traps we have had to conclusively demonstrate to the Tasmanian government that they are humane. This has involved extremely rigorous testing involving night time filming of over 100 animals being trapped, detailed examination of animals after a night in traps, Animal Ethics Committee approval for all trials, and an independent observer humane scientific examination on trapped possums and wallabies.
The effectiveness of the traps has been evaluated in many trials, where they compare more than favourably with all alternative approved trap designs. The key to their economic success rate, relative to alternative animal control methods, is to maintain a high average catch success rate, in the order of 50% per trap night for sustained periods. This can be achieved by a pre-feeding arrangement whereby animals are first attracted to a site by provision of food in locked open traps or in a simple feeder which looks like a real trap. Animals thus become used to eating from traps or trap- like structures which they cannot see through (a strange and rather daunting prospect to them initially because they normally graze where visibility is good all around!) For easily caught pest browsers such as possums and rufous wallabies, up to 10 traps can then be set near each feeder for just 1 - 3 nights after 7 - 10 days of free feeding provided by a single food provision of 3 - 10 kg of crushed grain. The traps can then be moved to the next feeder, normally about 200 metres away.
Setting traps takes just a few seconds. Removing and disposing of trapped pest animals averages approximately 2 minutes each, and moving from trap to trap averages about one minute per trap provided traps are set in groups. Food in the form of crushed or rolled barley or other grain is our preferred food. It costs in the order of $2 per trapped animal. We argue that a farmer might just as well provide grain to wallabies to assist their capture, as have them eat the grass so that grain or hay has to be fed to the livestock! Overall cost per animal removed should be expected to be in the order of $6 per animal (range $5 - $10) for all costs, including $1 per animal for the trap capital cost or rent component. Where travel time from base to trap location exceeds about half an hour the travel cost becomes significant. It is important to use local staff as far as possible to tend traps and to use as many traps as possible to contain the travel cost component. We recommend at least 20 -30 traps be deployed at any time for all but small holdngs of a few acres. Where travel time is significant 50 - 100 traps can be a more economic option.
Video clips of animals being trapped can be viewed on YouTube: -
Feral tabby cat trapped in fabric trap
Feral black cat trapped
Large rufous wallaby trapped in fabric trap
Brushtail possum trapped in FabricAnimalTrap
Another possum trapped
FabricAnimalTraps.com.au
Trapped 21 kg Bennett's wallaby
2 trapped brushtail possums
Set trap
Trip mechanism
Set traps
Locked open trap with spring detached
Trap locked open with spring detached