Delhi markets stop sale of glue traps after PETA India’s appeal

Following the government’s decision, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India appealed to Rajmandir Hypermarket, which has 33 stores across Delhi, to stop the use of glue traps and called on all other retailers to follow suit, a statement said.

Rajmandir Hypermarket’s 25-year-old CEO, Aditya Mittal, said, “Following the government’s prohibition order, we stopped buying these products and also destroyed the stock we already had. We have ceased the use, sale and purchase of these items that harm animal lives.” Following the government’s direction and pressure from PETA India, e-commerce giants such as Amazon, Flipkart and Meesho have removed glue traps, a product causing immense suffering to animals, from their websites, it said.

“Animals caught in glue traps face a hideously slow and agonizing death as they scream, panic and rip their own skin off in a desperate attempt to escape,” PETA India chief corporate liaison Ashima Kukreja said, adding that glue traps, which are trays coated with a sticky adhesive, trap small animals who can suffer for days before dying.
“Wildlife, including birds, snakes, mice, rats and squirrels, often struggle desperately to escape glue traps, sometimes chewing off their own limbs before succumbing to shock, dehydration, asphyxiation or blood loss,” Kukreja added.

The trapped animals continue to produce urine and faeces, which can transmit pathogens such as hantavirus, salmonella and bacteria that cause leptospirosis, posing significant health risks, the statement from PETA India said.