TheProvince.com reported that this week a passerby happened upon the skunk, who was caught in a Trapper T-Rex Trap – a rat trap – in West Vancouver. Thought to be extirpated in British Columbia, the adult male spotted skunk was the first seen since the 1980s.
According to the Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C., the skunk is suffering injuries to his paw and teeth; though that recovery will take at least one month.
This upsetting incident again calls into question the ability – and even the possibility – of trappers to prevent non-target catch. The American Veterinary Medical Association estimated that as many as 67 per cent of animals caught in traps are unintended species. Every year, the number of media reports in Canada of domestic pets caught and either injured or maimed in traps increases.
Trapping is a public safety hazard. Trapping is inherently cruel and unnecessary.
We can only hope that our governments realize the truth before more species, pets or children fall prey to this archaic hobby.
To find out more about truly humane wildlife control, visit our friend Brad Gates at Gates' Wildlife Control.
