Baby Skunk Caught in a Rat Trap
Imagine how much it would hurt to have your hand stuck in the jaws of a rat trap!
That's exactly what happened to this young skunk.
At this age, young skunks, foxes and raccoons are old enough to be out of the den, foraging with their mother, but they're still small enough to fit into tight spaces, like the boxes that are supposed to prevent nontarget wildlife from encountering rat traps.
This little skunk must have poked her inquisitive paw a little too far into the box, or she encountered a trap that wasn't enclosed, and the result was devastating.
Dozens of young animals, mostly skunks and opossums, but other animals too, arrive at WildCare's Wildlife Hospital every year with their limbs or other body parts clamped horrifically in snap traps. We are seeing a HUGE increase in these injuries right now, too.
Each one of these rat trap patients requires an unbelievable amount of care. Rat trap patients require daily (or twice-daily) medications for pain and swelling and to increase blood flow to areas constricted by the trap.
They also need extensive wound treatments, and these treatments can go on for months because of the nature of constriction and compression injuries.
In the past month, WildCare has admitted 10 wildlife patients critically injured by snap traps set outside. Of course, these are only the animals who were found and rescued.
This photo shows the skunk in the video above after she has been sedated and received pain medications. The skunk's right paw, on the left as you're looking at the photo, is grossly swollen from having been constricted in the trap for hours or days.
Because treating constriction injuries can be so challenging, the prognosis for this young skunk is guarded, but our team has hopes she'll make a full recovery and be able to be released back to the wild.
How can YOU help prevent injuries like this one?
Please do not use traps outdoors!
This young skunk's ordeal, and that of dozens of other wildlife patients could have been avoided!
WildCare asks you to PLEASE not place traps outside where animals nest, hunt, forage, and make their homes! Traps should ONLY be used inside, after all rodent entry points have been sealed shut.
Distributing deadly devices or poisonous bait outside where animals roam is unfair, unkind, inhumane, and can also pose risks to pets and children.
Remember: the outdoors is where wild animals, including rodents, should be! Not wanting rodents inside our homes is understandable, but seeing rodents in your yard is not a reason to put out traps or poison.
The best way to get rid of rodents in your yard is to remove what is attracting them. Take down bird feeders, or consistently sweep up seed every evening, pick up fallen fruit, and don't feed pets outdoors.
Reducing food sources in your yard will dramatically reduce rodent activity, eliminating the need for traps.
In addition, any time you place a trap you MUST commit to checking that trap twice a day, in the morning and in the evening!
Snap and clamp traps often do not effectively kill the trapped animal, so even if the animal is a targeted rodent, he cannot be allowed to suffer and die slowly in the trap.
The rat in this photo was rescued in time and brought to WildCare. He made a full recovery.
Checking traps twice a day ensures that an injured animal won't be left to suffer. WildCare admits many rats and mice, along with other animals, that have been trapped, but not killed, by snap traps.
Questions about traps or how to humanely solve a rodent problem without traps? Call WildCare's Hotline at 415-456-7283!
How to Control Rodents Without Using Traps
It's entirely possible to deal with a nuisance rodent situation WITHOUT resorting to the use of traps or poisons!
(Click here for a PDF of this information)
Here also is a guide for HOAs and similar properties to humanely and effectively control rodents.
People put out traps because they see rodents and want them gone. Rodents inside the home should be evicted and excluded, but remember that rodents outside are part of the natural environment. Traps of any variety should never be placed outside.
The best method of rodent control is prevention. Rodents tend to set up camp in our homes when food and space are made available to them. How can you get rid of them?
Remove potential rodent homes like yard debris, trash, construction waste, etc. Rodents also thrive in groundcover like ivy, so removing ivy from the yard, especially around the house, is a good solution too.
Eliminate food sources. Keep bulk food, seed, and dry pet food in metal cans with secure lids. Pick up fallen fruit. Sweep under birdfeeders and take them inside at night.
Exclude rodents from your home. Seal openings 1/4 inch or larger around the outside of your house with metal, concrete, or Stuf-fit Copper Mesh Wool, which can be found online or at hardware stores. If you would like humane, professional advice on rodent exclusion, contact our Living with Wildlife Hotline at 415-456-7283.
Include natural rodent predators in your solution. A family of five owls can consume up to 3000 rodents in breeding season. Placing a nest box to encourage a family of owls to make your property home can be a great alternative to commercial pest control methods. Visit Sonoma County Wildlife's Barn Owl Maintenance Program for more information and to purchase and install boxes.
Use catch-and-release traps as a safe, sanitary, and humane solution. Catch-and-release traps will allow you to remove rodents from inside your home, but you must prevent their return by sealing entrance and exit holes and removing attractants (see above).