A wildlife organization offered a $1,000 reward Thursday for information leading to the person who placed an illegal foothold trap that led to the death of a raccoon in the Santa Clarita area.
Wildlife Emergency Services circulated a photograph of the raccoon which was recently found dead, alerting residents near the 28000 block of Rock Canyon Drive of the incident.
"From a photograph provided by a resident near Copper Hill in Santa Clarita, it appears a raccoon was snared by an illegal foothold trap — banned in California — and became entangled in a tree where it subsequently perished," Wildlife Emergency Services CEO Rebecca Dmytryk said in a statement. "California Department of Fish and Wildlife has been notified."
The reward was offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever was responsible for setting the trap, Dmytryk said.
"Often, trapping is a method used to get rid of 'nuisance' animals, but it is an outdated practice," Dmytryk said. "The animals are not the actual problem — their presence is a symptom, indicating a reliable food source nearby."
Anyone with information on the case was urged to contact Wildlife Emergency Services at admin@wildlifeservices.org or report anonymously through the state Department of Fish and Wildlife CalTip line at 888-334-CalTIP.
