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The clip, posted by conservationist Dr Charlie Gardner, has sparked widespread condemnation and calls for the use of snares to be discontinued on the King’s private estate
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Fox found tied to a tree with wire on King’s Sandringham Estate
A shocking video of a fox caught in a “barbaric” snare trap on King Charles’ country estate at Sandringham has sparked fury from animal lovers.
The clip was posted by conservationist and researcher Dr Charlie Gardner on Friday evening. He wrote: “A friend of mine was strolling through the King’s Sandringham Estate this morning and came across this barbaric horror. Happily, he was able to release it.”
The minute-long clip shows a terrified fox with a wire snare around its neck, the other end of which is staked into the ground. The animal’s eyes bulge as it frantically tries to escape from the trap. The camera is pointed away for a few moments as the person filming is presumably occupied freeing the creature, before showing a cut snare wire and no sign of the trapped fox.
The video has sparked outrage online, with people calling on King Charles to stop the practice of snares being used on his private Norfolk estate, which spans about 8,100 hectares (20,000 acres) of parkland, farmland and forestry.
“Omg look at the fear in its eyes. Heartbreaking,” commented Dr Jill Belch. Meanwhile Alison Kirkbride tweeted: “Whoever set that snare I would like to string them up.”
The person who filmed the video, who did not wish to be named, told the Mirror : “It’s a strange fact that injured or trapped animals rarely make a sound because of the fear of giving away their location to predators. This fox remained silent and still until it realised it had no option but to try and escape. The look in its eyes of sheer terror is so distressing to witness and makes me think of all the animals which are regularly trapped awaiting their fate.
They added: “This snare was placed alongside a rare Chalk Stream which is regularly used by otters and could easily have resulted in the death of these beautiful creatures.”
A commenter called Joan said: “How the hell is this legal in 2024 and what kind of scum puts these out.” Lin Tohomas said: “How can any decent human being set a trap like that to catch, maim or kill an innocent animal? It’s horrific, it’s barbaric!”
There were also calls for the King’s role as patron of the RSPCA to be revoked. Paolo Thomas posted: “@RSPCA_official on ‘our’ patron’s estate ffs! C Windsor is not a fit person. Please tell him to rescind his patronage.”
King Charles is the Royal Patron of the RSPCA, as on their website the organisation says: “The Monarch has a huge passion for nature and regenerative farming and his continued support for the RSPCA and the future of animal welfare is invaluable.”
Snare traps consist of a wire noose which tightens around an animal’s neck when it walks through it and tightens as it tries to escape. Certain types of snares are not illegal, provided the landowner gives permission for their use. The UK is one of only five European countries that still allow snaring.
They are routinely used in game shooting areas to catch predators that would eat eggs or kill young pheasants. Wildlife campaigners have criticised snares saying they are indiscriminate, and any animal can get caught in them and suffer a slow and terrifying death.
Other critics made the point that this has happened before, as user pumpkin61 wrote: “Disgusting – not the first time the estate has been caught out.” Indeed there have been other similar incidents at Sandringham in the past.
In 2021 a pet dog was caught in a snare around its neck on the royal Sandringham estate. The rescue animal, called Nell, could have died while it was trapped for hours as temperatures plummeted to below freezing, the owner told the Independent.
In 2020 ITV reported that a legally protected Little Owl had been caught inside a Fenn trap, described as “just about the worst snare you can set”. The dead bird was reportedly found on the estate a few metres from a bird hide where the late Queen liked to go bird watching.
A Guardian investigation in 2023 found numerous incidents where protected birds of prey had died at the estate with 18 separate incidents dating back to 2003 involving suspected wildlife offences or the alleged misuse of poisons, linked to the royal estate and neighbouring farmland owned by the king.
Use of snares remains common among large landowners. An undercover investigation on the Cheshire estate of the Duke of Westminster earlier this month revealed questions about the controversial use of the traps.
Dr Gardner, who posted the Sandringham clip online, told the Mirror: “This fox was lucky someone found it, but much of our countryside is covered in huge private estates where the public never go, and I hate to imagine how much stuff like this goes on there away from any scrutiny. Many big estates are hotbeds of wildlife crime, but it would be a lot harder to get away with if we restored public access to the countryside. England needs a ‘Right to Roam’ like the Scottish have.”
In 2021 animal rights activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) called on Charles (then Prince of Wales) to ban the use of snare traps at Sandringham. In a letter to Charles the group said: “according to a UK government study, 75 per cent of animals killed in snares are not the intended target.
“The British public largely oppose the use of snares, and 77 per cent of Britons want them to be banned, according to research conducted by Ipsos Mori. By banning these contraptions on Sandringham Estate, you would not only prevent further deaths and instances of suffering but also set a positive example of peaceful coexistence with wildlife and other animals.”
Sandringham Estate declined to comment but the Mirror understands that the snare used is compliant with Defra legislation and is based on a concept originally designed by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust. It is also understood that the estate feels that foxes do need to be managed on an estate.
