Trapping pit

A pitfall, also called catch pit or wild pit is a covered and camouflaged by branches or similar loose material nature pit for catching wild.

It is the easiest and probably the oldest type of a trap.

Nature

The hand-dug, mostly covered with brushwood and camouflaged pits for trapping wild animals, in Europe in particular bear ( bear pit ), wolves ( wolf pit) and foxes, were still used at the beginning of the 20th century.

A bear pit was usually 5 m wide and deep, and except with brushwood also covered with thin lawn and to lure the animal with a bait (live sheep) provided. When Fox was used as bait a duck.

Pitfalls can also be provided with sharpened stakes, to prevent jumping out of the animals.

If you wanted to have the trapped animal alive, so we drove it through a provided with a trap door exit of the pit in a cage, which is joined by a similar door by itself.

Use

Pitfalls were used for large and fortified animals. Alfred Brehm reported on the hunting story from Hungary, where the people began bison in pitfalls.

Before the introduction of narcotics numerous exotic wildlife such as elephants and giraffes were captured for the zoo equipment in pitfalls.

Animal Welfare

In Germany and Austria the creation of pitfalls for reasons of animal welfare is prohibited.

" Pitfalls " of animals and plants

The Antlion builds a pitfall in the form of a sand funnel, whose slope angle is steeper than the angle of repose. Into Advised insects trigger an avalanche and are thus briefly fixed before they take the animal.

Many of the insect trapping serving calyxes have smooth walls and a depth such that inside guessed insects can not climb out.

Trivia

A well-known proverb: He who digs a pit for others falls into it himself. (Prov. 26.27 EU), also (Ps 7.16 EU)

Swell

• Gear (hunting )