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This page contains photos of animals injured or killed by traps. Some photos may not be suitable for all viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.
If you think looking at these photos is awful, try to imagine what these animals went through. None of them had a choice, but you do.
You have the ability to speak for them and to stop further injuries and deaths.
On this page, at right, are verbal descriptions of the kinds of injuries each type of trap can cause. Below, the page contains GRAPHIC photos of animals injured or killed by traps. You can reach the photos by scrolling down or by clicking on the links below. The page is laid out so you can read the text without looking at the photos, if you prefer.
Trapped grey fox
Another trapped grey fox
Domestic cat being treated for leg injury
Domestic cat killed in leg-hold trap
Dog caught in connibear trap
Dog caught in trap
Dog's leg injury from trap
Another dog's leg injury from trap
Dog's paw caught in trap
Canine in leg trap
Coyote caught in leg-hold trap
Another coyote caught in leg-hold trap
Yet another coyote caught in leg-hold trap
Coyote paw injury due to leg-hold trap
Bobcat caught in leg-hold trap
Two bobcats caught in leg-hold trap
Raccoon killed by connibear trap
Fox in leg-hold trap
Fox killed by leg-hold trap
Deer killed by leg-hold trap
Lynx foot
unless you are willing to look at injured animals. The photos start just below this box which is also the end-point of the text in the right column.
Trapped grey fox.
Photo courtesy of New Mexico resident.
Another trapped grey fox.
Photo courtesy of New Mexico resident.
Domestic cat being treated for leg injury.
Photo courtesy of
Humane Society of the US.
Domestic cat killed in leg-hold trap.
Photo courtesy of
Humane Society of the US.
Dog caught in connibear trap.
Photo courtesy of
Humane Society of the US.
Dog caught in trap.
Photo courtesy of New Mexico resident.
Dog's leg injury from trap.
Photo courtesy of
Humane Society of the US.
Another dog's leg injury from trap.
Photo courtesy of
Humane Society of the US.
Dog's paw caught in trap.
Photo courtesy of
Humane Society of the US.
Canine in leg trap.
Photo courtesy of
Humane Society of the US.
Coyote caught in leg-hold trap.
Photo courtesy of New Mexico resident.
Leg-hold traps. Not only is there a chance of injury when the trap closes on a limb, but also in the resulting struggle. Trappers say they find the animals asleep when they come. But the truth is that it is more likely exhaustion or shock from the struggle to free themselves. The area within the radius of the trap chain will be thoroughly churned and dug up. Trappers call this the trap circle.
Some animals have been documented fighting the trap and its surroundings for hours before giving up. They dislocate joints, tear tendons and can twist up in the chain to point that their own bones break. Bone breakage from the struggle will be above the level of the trap jaws while those from the trap itself will be where the jaws closed.
Sometimes the injuries aren't apparent until the blood flow is restored and swelling and pain begin. Infection can set in from lacerations and tissue damage. If the trap is large compared to the animal, the body part trapped may be utterly mangled. Small mammals and birds will be killed outright. The animal victim can also dig the trap out of its mooring and escape dragging the trap clamped on the leg so neither can be found. A long slow death awaits.
Animals also bite at the trap and themselves which results in bloody injuries to their limbs and gums and broken teeth. In freezing weather overnight, which is the usual case during trapping season, the trapped limb is subject to frostbite and tissue death. Even if the animal is released, gangrene can set in later.
The thrashing struggle attracts other predators, which can make short work of killing the helpless animal that is restrained. These injuries can occur even if the trapper is checking his traps every 24 hours. If he isn’t, dehydration, starvation and exposure also occur.
Snare traps. These devices are supposed to strangle an animal to death, but often it does this slowly over several hours. Such is the grueling nature of this death that lymph is trapped in the head during the strangulation process causing it swell greatly. Trappers call animals they find this way “jelly heads”.
Connibear Traps. If an animal is the wrong size for the trap or it enters incorrectly, it is not killed instantly. But the animal will be fatally injured whether it is a targeted furbearer or a non-target, even your dog.
Drowning sets. Sometimes leg-hold traps are set in such a way that the animal is dragged under water and drowned. Beavers can take up to 24 minutes to drown.
Continued from left: Photos
Another coyote caught in leg-hold trap.
Photo courtesy of
Humane Society of the US.
Yet another coyote caught in leg-hold trap.
Photo courtesy of New Mexico resident.
Coyote paw injury due to leg-hold trap.
Photo courtesy of New Mexico resident.
Bobcat caught in leg-hold trap.
Photo courtesy of
Humane Society of the US.
Two bobcats caught in leg-hold trap.
Photo courtesy of
Humane Society of the US.
Raccoon killed by connibear trap.
Photo courtesy of
Humane Society of the US.
Fox in leg-hold trap.
Photo courtesy of
Humane Society of the US.
Fox killed by leg-hold trap.
Photo courtesy of
Humane Society of the US.
Deer killed by leg-hold trap.
Photo courtesy of
Humane Society of the US.
Lynx foot.
Photo courtesy of
Jim Robertson.
