Search Trapping Incidents Database

A young, male Manx cat nicknamed Trapper was found dragging a foothold trap at a log manufacturing company. The cat was found with his foot in the trap dangling from a hole on one side of a wall while his body was on the other. Upon rescue, the cat had to have his leg amputated. The trap was thought to be set illegally.

Russell Files, a 44-year old man who works for the U.S. Wildlife Services (a tax-payer funded services funded by the USDA) was arrested on suspicion of injuring a neighbor’s dog with a trap. Officers found the 2-year old Australian Cattle dog named Zoey covered in blood with her left front and back feet entangled in a the trap. Zoey also lost 17 teeth trying to gnaw her way out.

A 10-month old Great Pyrenees mix puppy was found caught in a trap and in shock. The puppy’s foot was nearly severed and infected. Police were contacted.

Three golden eagles were caught in separate snare traps over the past few days. The only one to survive was an eagle that was tangled in a snare trap (someone had cut the snare, but left the bird to wander with the cable embedded in its wing and shoulder). The first eagle found was delivered to the MT Raptor Conservation Center dead on arrival. The third eagle had to be euthanized at the trap due to extensive injuries it sustained.

A bald eagle was caught in a trap meant for lynx or coyote. Upon release, the bird was able to fly away.

A female mountain lion was unintentionally caught in a snare trap meant for bobcats and died.

A lynx was caught in a leg-hold trap set legally to capture coyotes. The trapper told officials that he did not observe any injury to the lynx and that it had run off. The lynx had two yellow ear tags, one in each ear.

A 7-year old Brittany Spaniel named Joe was caught in a conibear trap while out pheasant hunting. The dog stopped breathing and lost consciousness, but was able to recover shortly after being released from the trap.

A trapper reported he had unintentionally caught a lynx with a leghold trap. The trapper reported that the lynx ran off wiht no obvious sign of injury and noted yellow eartags in each ear.

On April 7th, 2012, a raccoon was found with his front leg caught in a steel jaw leghold trap. The raccoon was initially seen caught in this trap on April 4th. The trap had broken the bones in the animal’s leg and in an attempt to remove himself, the raccoon chewed his own leg to the bone. The trap was set illegally and the trapper is unknown. The raccoon had to be euthanized.