Search Trapping Incidents Database

A few miles north of Duluth, an endangered lynx, “No. 10,” was caught in a snare set for a fox. Killing a lynx is a federal offense. The trapper called a local conservation officer who notified the U.S. Forest Service. Wildlife researchers took the wildcat to the Duluth Zoo, where a vet proclaimed him fit and the researchers promptly re-released him near where he had been trapped.

A 16-year-old girl was caught by the foot in a trap set for beaver. The girl was wearing lace-up boots and was caught on the heel. She escaped without injury

Suzy was not more than half-mile from her home by a lake, when she was caught in a snare placed illegally and without her guardian and the land-owner’s permission. Suzy suffered for 2 hours before she died.

A yellow lab named Holden was caught in a trap while being walked by a couple. The trap meant for beavers was on a farmland close to a gravel road. The trap clamped down on the dogs throat. The couple tried in vain to release the trap, but Holden died witin 2 minutes while being held by his guardian.

A dog was caught in 1 of the 19 snares placed in Upcountry Maui to try and capture a large cat believed to be jaguar or leopard. After being released, the dog had 9 puppies.

Found with her kitten in a trailer park, Ella had suffered the traumatic loss of the leg while escaping the trap. The injury had scarred over, but she was treated by a veterinarian because she neglected her health to take care of her kitten. The trap owner was never found. This correspondent also reported: “Another incident happened long ago in Falls Church, VA but it was unforgettable; a dog named Ruby had her tongue severed by a steel-jaw trap. She recovered and adapted to life without a tongue.”

A male wolf with ear-tags was captured in a leghold trap set for coyotes. The trapper called U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Idaho. The same wolf had been accidentally captured and released previously (12/19/03) also by a leghold trap.

The dog was killed at the scene. Holden’s guardians reported, “We struggled to release the trap but it was too late … He died in our arms and I saw fear in his eyes. I will never get that image out of my mind.”

A dog wandering in the caretaker’s neighborhood walked into a snare that had been baited with the head of a pig. The snare had been set to catch coyotes.

Dudley’s right front paw was clamped in a steel trap for 5 days after he went exploring with another dog, Max, near his 30-acre home. Neighbor boys found the near-dead dog 5 days later on an island on the dry Republican River and carried him to safety. After several weeks the sores on the front and back of his leg are healing, but he still walks with a noticeable limp.