Illegal trap tortures young skunk, reward offered by non-profit

Photo: Critter Care Wildlife Society

Fur-Bearers, a wildlife non-profit, is offering a reward for anyone with information about an illegal leg-hold trap that captured and harmed a young skunk that then had to be put down due to the extent of its injuries. 

The critter was located by Critter Care Wildlife Society on Aug. 2 in the residential area of Williams and Number 4 Roads in Richmond. 

Due to the extent of the 3.5-month-old skunk’s injuries, she was humanely euthanized.

“These traps do one thing, and one thing only: cause suffering,” says Lesley Fox, executive director of B.C.-based non-profit The Fur-Bearers. 

“Whether it’s a clearly illegal trap with teeth like the one in this incident or a so-called ‘certified humane’ trap, we regularly see the devastation they cause any animal who encounters them.”

The Fur-Bearers are offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the identification of the person(s) responsible.

“Trapping to kill or trapping to relocate will not resolve human conflict with wildlife, and could potentially increase it,” says Fox. 

"Nature abhors a vacuum, and removal of one animal simply makes room for another. The cause of the conflict is frequently human-sourced, such as leaving out attractants or directly feeding animals – even if it’s not in your backyard, it just takes one person in a neighbourhood to change the way wildlife behaves."

Anyone with information regarding this trapping incident is asked to contact the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) line at 1-877-952-7277 or online. 

Photo: Critter Care Wildlife Society