David Tipling Photo Library/Alamy
My humane mousetrap’s instructions tell me to release my visitor a mile away or it may find its way back. Can this be true?
Garry Trethewey
Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, South Australia
The idea of a humane mousetrap introduces some notion of ethics, which runs up against population dynamics and carrying capacity.
The mice living a mile away are using all the food and living space that is there. If they weren’t, then from the huge number of baby mice that are born, a few more would survive to fill up the space.
So adding another mouse from your house just…
