Article information

• Author,Tanya Gupta
• Role,BBC News, West Midlands
• 16 May 2025
• https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy5ekzk17wxo.amp

The sight of injured and dead squirrels caught in traps in the grounds of a stately home has sparked outrage from some visitors.

A number of people have taken to social media with descriptions of “heartbreaking displays of animal cruelty” at Weston Park, near Shifnal, near the border of Staffordshire and Shropshire.

Pictures have been posted online of a squirrel hanging out of a trap with its head inside and another squirrel caught in a tube.

A spokeswoman for Weston Park said humane traps were used on part of the estate and added: “We understand how upsetting this was and sincerely apologise to anyone affected.”

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On Facebook, one commentator, Jeneen Schive, wrote: “Visitors to Weston Park have been confronted with a distressing sight: Squirrel traps placed high in the trees, leaving injured or even dead squirrels caught and visible for all to see.

“This heartbreaking displays of animal cruelty cannot be ignored….these traps are causing unnecessary suffering to innocent creatures.”

The spokeswoman for the park said estate managers were now carrying out a review of everything they do to manage the squirrel population on the estate.

“We have a responsibility to control the population of grey squirrels, a non-native invasive species, in a humane and controlled manner,” she added.

“We fully understand our visitors care and concern for the park and its wildlife and we remain committed to ensuring that all necessary actions are carried out responsibly in accordance with best practices.”

by Nick PerkinsMay 15, 2025

• https://oilcity.news/national-park/2025/05/15/yellowstone-national-park-staff-trap-and-kill-11-year-old-grizzly-bear/

YELLOWSTONE, Wyo. — Yellowstone National Park staff trapped and killed an 11-year-old grizzly bear on Wednesday.

That’s according to a release from the park, which stated that the bear “repeatedly sought out human food sources in developed areas of the park.”

According to the release, the 400-pound grizzly bear overturned several bear-resistant dumpsters and gained access to human food and trash.

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This happened near Old Faithful, the Nez Perce Picnic Area and the Midway Geyser Basin parking lot.

“In addition to developing a strategy to flip over 800-pound dumpsters, the bear also uprooted smaller bear-resistant trash cans from their concrete bases to gain access to human food and garbage,” the release states. “As a result, the bear became increasingly food-conditioned and posed a risk to public safety in one of the busiest areas of the park. The decision to kill the bear was made to ensure public safety and reduce the chances of other bears becoming habituated to human food.”

The release notes that the last time a grizzly bear was killed in a management action in Yellowstone was in September 2017. That bear was damaging tents and accessing human food near Heart Lake.

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“It’s unfortunate that this bear began regularly seeking out garbage and was able to defeat the park’s bear-resistant infrastructure,” says Yellowstone Bear Management Biologist Kerry Gunther. “We go to great lengths to protect bears and prevent them from becoming conditioned to human food. But occasionally, a bear outsmarts us or overcomes our defenses. When that happens, we sometimes have to remove the bear from the population to protect visitors and property.”

The release states that the park provides bear-resistant food storage lockers in all campgrounds and food storage devices in all backcountry campsites. It also offers bear-resistant garbage cans and dumpsters throughout the park, in accordance with the park’s bear management plan.

“Yellowstone reminds all visitors that utilizing these bear safety measures remain crucial in ensuring public safety and preventing wildlife from developing dangerous habits,” the release states.

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To learn more about Yellowstone National Park’s Bear Management program, visit the Yellowstone National Park website.