An illegal animal trap which cut off foxes’ legs was set by a man unhappy the animals had made holes in his fence.
Dantai Le, 60, of St Julians Farm Road, West Norwood, pleaded guilty to charges of using and possessing an illegal trap contrary the Pests Act 1954, causing unnecessary suffering, and not protecting an animal from pain, injury and suffering.
He was ordered to wear an electronic tag and put under curfew between 9.30pm and 5.30am for 56 days when he appeared at Camberwell Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, May 24.
He was also told to pay £500 costs.
On 22 February, RSPCA inspector Rebecca London received an emergency call saying there was a fox caught in a trap, and when she arrived at Le’s house looked through a hole in the fence and saw a fox trapped in Le’s garden with something around its leg.
When Li released the fox it had half its front leg missing, but still escaped before it could be caught. It was never found.
On further inspection of Li’s garden the RSPCA inspector and police found the spring trap ”covered in blood” and another dead fox, who had its front leg torn off.
A RSPCA spokesman said: “Le told inspector London that he had set the trap with a ring in it so that he did not harm the foxes too much, and that he had brought the trap from China.
“He said he had set a trap for the foxes because they made holes in his garden fence.”
Ms London said: “These traps have rightly been outlawed because they cause terrible suffering to any animal that is caught in them.
“The only place you would see them now would be hanging on a pub wall.
“The foxes who were caught in Le’s trap had their legs terribly injured or torn off, and must have been in appalling pain.”
Source: This is Local London
