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Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996

Consolidated Text As Enacted Cited authorities 2 Cited in Related
Vincent
Year1996


Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996

1996 CHAPTER 3

An Act to make provision for the protection of wild mammals from certain cruel acts and for connected purposes.

[29th February 1996]

Be it enacted by the Queens' most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

S-1 Offences.

1 Offences.

1. If, save as permitted by this Act, any person mutilates, kicks, beats, nails or otherwise impales, stabs, burns, stones, crushes, drowns, drags or asphyxiates any wild mammal with intent to inflict unnecessary suffering he shall be guilty of an offence.

S-2 Exceptions from offence under the Act.

2 Exceptions from offence under the Act.

2. A person shall not be guilty of an offence under this Act by reason of—

(a) the attempted killing of any such wild mammal as an act of mercy if he shows that the mammal had been so seriously disabled otherwise than by his unlawful act that there was no reasonable chance of its recovering

(b) the killing in a reasonably swift and humane manner of any such wild mammal if he shows that the wild mammal had been injured or taken in the course of either lawful shooting, hunting, coursing or pest control activity

(c) doing anything which is authorised by or under any enactment

(d) any act made unlawful by section 1 if the act was done by means of any snare, trap, dog, or bird lawfully used for the purpose of killing or taking any wild mammal or

(e) the lawful use of any poisonous or noxious substance on any wild mammal.

S-3 Interpretation.

3 Interpretation.

3. In this Act ‘wild mammal’ means any mammal which is not a domestic or captive animal within the meaning of the Protection of Animals Act 1911or the Protection of Animals (Scotland) Act 1912.

S-4 Powers of constable.

4 Powers of constable.

4. Where a constable has reasonable grounds for suspecting that a person has committed an offence under the provisions of this Act and that evidence of the commission of the offence may be found on that person or in or on...

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