$1,000 reward after leg-hold traps injure wildlife in White Rock

A $1,000 dollar reward is being offered by an animal activist group hoping to find whoever is responsible for setting leg-hold traps in White Rock, B.C.

"I saw this poor little raccoon hobbling up the road and he stopped and he looked at me. It was like part of his leg was gone," resident Anne Mitchell told CBC Radio's The Early Edition.

"I just think it's so inhumane to do those things and set up those leg-hold traps."

The traps are legal in White Rock, but aren't allowed to be used to target raccoons.

The Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals is circulating a petition calling on the City of White Rock to ban the traps, and is offering the cash reward for information that could help identify and convict those responsible.

"Whoever is doing this is setting these traps … clearly with the goal of injuring or killing animals," said Michael Howie, the director of digital content and special projects with the APFA.

"There's two possibilities. One is an attempt to catch an animal and sell its skin or fur, which still holds value, or because they are frustrated by the presence of these animals and think this is a way of getting rid of them or preventing any kind of conflict."

An online petition calling on White Rock mayor Wayne Baldwin and city council to ban the traps within the city has gathered more than 6,000 signatures.

Howie said anyone who finds a trap should call their local conservation service.

To hear the full interview with Michael Howie, click the audio labelled: Leg hold traps injure wildlife in White Rock.