A B.C. animal activist group says three raccoons suffered injuries due to cuff-style traps in Mission, last year.
The Fur-Bearers, a wildfire charity, said the trappings have been reported to the BC Conservation Officer Service and want to remind British Columbians that trapping is “a cruel (and) ineffective solution to managing any issue.”
The wildfire charity said it first heard of the incidents through the Critter Care Wildlife Society (CCWS), which allegedly took place around Nov. 27, 2023.
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“According to CCWS, neighbours heard the screams of raccoons caught in traps and called the provincial Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) line. A conservation officer and two wildlife specialists from CCWS attended the scene,” Fur-Bearers’ staff said in a release. “Upon arrival, the specialists found as many as 10 (cuff-style) traps located on a residential property.”
The charity said three injured raccoons were found in the area and two were euthanized due to their injuries.
The third raccoon remains in care.
“Raccoons are intelligent, social animals who are native to Mission and the Lower Mainland,” Lesley Fox, the Fur-Bearers’ executive director, said. “(Cuff-style) traps cause suffering to any animal caught in them and will not resolve any potential issues being faced by residents.”
The BC Conservation Officer Service said it is aware of the incident and is investigating the “alleged unlawful trapping of raccoons in Mission.”