Cat and raccoon caught in ‘dangerous traps’ set in B.C.’s Lower Mainland, group says

Disturbing home security video showing a raccoon dragging a powerful trap on its paw has a local wildlife charity pleading with the public for help.

A wildlife charity is offering a $1,000 reward for help finding the person responsible for setting “dangerous traps” in Langley, B.C., that have already snared at least one raccoon – and reportedly a cat as well.

The Fur-Bearers shared surveillance video captured outside a home in the Lower Mainland city that shows a young raccoon dragging a trap on its paw.

The charity said the device appears to be a conibear-style trap, which consists of two metal frames that snap shut onto an animal’s body when activated.

“This is a killing trap, often used for smaller animals like muskrats,” said Lesley Fox, executive director of The Fur-Bearers.

The video was recorded near Langley’s Hi-Knoll Park in late August. The Fur-Bearers said the homeowner has also spotted a cat caught in a trap, and is worried for other animals in the neighbourhood.

Fox said pet owners living in the area should take precautions.

“It’s a very public place – there’s nature trails, there’s dogs off-leash, there’s residential homes,” she said.

Under B.C. law, people are allowed to set some types of conibear traps, provided they have a licence and follow all necessary regulations.

Fox said The Fur-Bearers have concerns about the usage of the traps in Langley, which is why the charity has offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to the “identification and conviction” of the person responsible.

The Fur-Bearers asked anyone with information to contact B.C.’s Report All Poachers and Polluters hotline at 1-877-952-7277 or on the government website.

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Yasmin Gandham