A $1,000 reward is on the table after a raccoon was found dragging a trap late Sunday night in West Vancouver.
The Fur-Bearers is offering a $1,000 reward to help identify and convict the person or persons responsible for setting this trap.
Local residents in West Vancouver’s Bayridge neighbourhood witnessed the raccoon dragging the cuff-style trap through their backyard.
After locals called authorities, the BC Conservation Officer Service attended and successfully released the raccoon.
The use of traps is restricted and they can cause devastating injuries to wildlife and domestic animals.
“We have seen a number of traps targeting raccoons in recent years throughout Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, many of which were likely set in urban or suburban environments,” says Lesley Fox, Executive Director of The Fur-Bearers, a wildlife protection group based in BC.
“It is illegal to set a trap within 200 metres of a dwelling, and traps like this must be checked regularly. We are also reminding residents that traps can and do cause serious harm to wildlife and domestic animals every year; if they are experiencing negative encounters with wildlife on their properties, various practical tools to coexist are available.”
Currently, there are no requirements in British Columbia to post signage when traps are being used, or to provide setbacks from publicly accessible trails and recreation spaces.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the BC COS through the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277 or at rapp.bc.ca
