|
Bald Eagle dies after being caught in a foothold trap |
|
We Are One Tammy Yuth President/Rehabilitator
Carol Ekker Vice President/Rehabilitator 360-264-4283
Patty Kaija –Treasurer Linda Anthony—Secretary Marlene Wenger—Board Member
Dr. Gregg Bennett Dr. Lina Wachsmuth Tumwater Veterinary Hospital 360-754-6008
Tess Starr—Web Page
Get the facts:
Animal-borne diseases in the news:
Licensing: |
|
On Monday, March 2, 2009 an American Bald Eagle was euthanized due to the injuries he sustained after being caught in a trapper’s illegal foothold trap.
The image below is a typical modern foothold trap.
|
|
Foothold traps are commonly used by licensed trappers to capture fur bearing animals and trap nuisance animals (often predators such as coyotes, fox and cougars). Traps are set in an area the targeted animal is thought to frequent with bait to attract the animal. When the animal steps on the trap the jaws spring up and trap the animals lower leg.
This kind of trap is favored because it is easy to set and conceal and can be used either on land or in the water.
Trappers claim that most animals do not fight the trap once they realize they are caught and feel little or no pain from having their leg caught in essentially a vice grip trap.
In this case an eagle was found in an unattended foothold trap, with his leg badly broken. In his struggles to free himself he had almost completely amputated his trapped leg. The only thing attaching the foot and lower leg to the rest of the leg was a little skin and a couple of tendons.
Unfortunately this was not a reparable injury and raptors do not survive well with only one leg. Ultimately they develop an infection known as bumblefoot in the remaining foot. Bumblefoot is difficult to treat in birds with two feet that can shift their weight from foot to foot. In the case of a raptor with only one foot it continues to reoccur until the bird either dies from the infection or is euthanized. Because of this, the eagle was humanly euthanized.
Sadly this story is not unique, foothold traps catch will catch any animal heavy enough to trigger the trap and small enough to be held by the trap. Birds of prey are particularly at risk because their bones are more fragile then mammals, and most species will scavenge if the opportunity presents itself.
We are not opposed to responsible hunting practices, in fact hunting organizations such as Ducks Unlimited, The National Wild Turkey Federation and Quail Unlimited have active conservation programs dedicated to preserving habitat for wildlife.
In our personal experience we work with falconers, people who participate in the hunting sport of falconry, to rehabilitate birds that need extra one on one time to be returned to the wild (see Explosion’s story). Responsible hunting groups and conservation groups can not only co-exist but be active partners in protecting the world’s wildlife.
We do not believe the use of unattended foothold traps has any place in the world today. An ethical bow or gun hunter goes out of his or her way to make sure he is only targeting the animal he intends to take and makes sure the animal does not suffer. In the unlikely event that a non targeted animal is injured he will either make sure the animal is put out of it’s misery or, if appropriate, get it help. (At one point Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium had a Peregrine Falcon that was accidentally shot by a duck hunter when they went after the same duck. That hunter stopped immediately to drive the injured falcon to a vet to get it help). The same can not be said of a trapper that uses a body gripping trap and leaves that trap unattended overnight.
The bottom line is ethical hunting practices do not allow the hunter to leave animals to suffer for hours just so the hunter can sleep warm and dry and check his traps after the sun is up and he’s had a good breakfast.
The good news is Washington State is one of seven states which has banned the use of foothold traps. The bad news is they are still being used illegally in this State and this bald eagle was one of many victims of them.
|