‘Severe suffering’: Bunnings item 38,000 people want pulled from shelves

Pressure is mounting on Bunnings to pull a popular product from its shelves as public outrage grows over the “severe suffering” the item can cause.

Pressure is mounting on Bunnings to pull glue traps “of any description” from its shelves over the “horrific pain and suffering” they can cause wildlife.

More than 38,000 people have signed a petition calling on the retailer to withdraw them from sale, warning of the devastating impact the popular traps can have if encountered by an animal.

“Glue traps cause horrific pain and suffering to any animal that comes in contact with them. It can be days before the creature succumbs to death via dehydration and starvation,” the petition reads.

“Animals have been known to tear off, or bite through, their own limbs in an attempt to free themselves.”

Wild Animals Australia’s Cat Coake, who initiated the petition, told NCA NewsWire earlier this year that carers have responded to hundreds of native animals caught on the traps, intended to catch insects and rodents.

Stream the news you want, when you want with Flash. 25+ news channels in 1 place. New to Flash? Try 1 month free. Offer ends 31 October, 2022 >

Glue traps can cause “severe suffering” to wildlife that become trapped on them. Picture: Kanyana Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre

A petition to pull the items from Bunnings shelves has garnered more than 38,000 signatures. Picture: change.org

“Glue traps cause horrific pain and suffering to any animal that comes in contact with them,” the petition reads. Picture: change.org

“It’s a constant thing we see all the time. They just die because they get stuck on these things,” Ms Coake said.

“It’s just barbaric and we’re asking Bunnings as a corporation to take some environmental responsibility.

“They’re the biggest sellers of this stuff.”

RSPCA Australia has also warned of the “severe suffering” the traps can cause, even to “target species” like rodents.

“The RSCPA is opposed to all glue traps due to the suffering they cause target species, the high risk to non-target species (for example, the risk to birds and bats from glue traps used for insects), and the difficulty in ensuring that non-target species are not impacted,” an RSPCA spokesperson said.

While microbats and small birds are the biggest victims, but even snakes, kookaburras and kittens have been snared by the traps.

Ms Coake said that many animals have to be put to sleep because they’re dehydrated, have broken bones, patches of skin, fur or feathers ripped off, or are dying when rescuers get to them.

A kookaburra caught on a sticky trap. Picture: RSPCA Qld

“If an animal gets stuck on it and manages to get themselves off, say for example, a bird – that bird can’t fly because it’s covered in glue, so it’s down on the ground to be eaten and if it gets stuck on a glue trap it can take days for those things to die. It’s horrific,” she added.

The traps are available in various sizes, depending on laws in different states. Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT have banned the use of rodent glue traps, but still allow for insect varieties.

Even these smaller traps, Ms Coake said, are inadvertently trapping wildlife, despite the fact they’re said to contain lower strength glue.

Bunnings general manager of merchandise, Adrian Pearce, confirmed to news.com.au that he is aware of the petition, but added there are a “range of views” about the traps’ sale.

“We continue to work with our suppliers and the regulatory bodies to ensure we are well-informed on these products,” Mr Pearce said.

“Bunnings does not sell glue traps designed to catch rodents, which we understand can be purchased at other retailers.

“We do offer a range of insect control products, which includes smaller sticky insect traps and non-sticky insect traps...Most of the sticky insect traps we offer are designed for indoor use only, and the product packaging clearly reflects this.”

Bunnings general manager of merchandise, Adrian Pearce, has said there are a “range of views” about the traps’ sale. Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Mariuz

To make that fact even more clear, Mr Peace said Bunnings “are working with suppliers to include additional information on the packaging, and we are aiming to roll this out before the year”.

“As always, we are careful to ensure the sticky insect traps we offer meet all government standards across all states and territories of Australia,” he added.

“We continue to closely follow the advice of Agriculture Victoria, other state regulatory bodies, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), and work with our suppliers to innovate in this area.”

Ms Coake’s petition also calls on sellers of the devices – including eBay and Amazon – to pull them from their sites. Amazon told Yahoo News earlier this year it would work to close a loophole allowing US sellers to export the traps to Australia – though it remains unclear if this has yet occurred.

“It’s just one product that causes a lot of problems and they could easily remove,” Ms Coake said.

“They can make a bloody big difference. In addition to that, we’re in 2022. There’s way easier and more humane ways to kill, whether it be insects, rats, whatever.”

News.com.au has contacted Bunnings for comment.

– with NCA NewsWire