Live trapping, the practice of capturing animals in a trap designed to not cause injury, is a topic that comes up often when members of the public contact DCHS's Wildlife Center. Most callers assume that this is — as the description implies— a safe and effective method to contain wildlife. This is not the whole truth, however, because live trapping can be risky for animals and people alike.

This past winter, we received back-to-back patients whose experiences highlighted the potential hazards of live traps. We would like to share their stories, touch on the real risks that live traps pose, and explains ways you can minimize harm to wildlife. 

First, live traps should not be used for wildlife unless absolutely necessary. 

Second, do not use a live trap for wildlife unless you have been directed to do so by a local wildlife rehabilitator. Live traps can be a good tool to capture injured and sick wildlife to bring them to a rehabilitator for care, but they can do more harm than good if they are not managed and monitored properly.

Some cases are straightforward and simple. For example, a juvenile Virginia Opossum was admitted after being caught in a live trap that had been set out with the intent to catch a squirrel. While trying to escape, he gave himself a small, but deep, wound on his nose. He received a week of wound care from trained staff and interns, and a brief treatment for lead toxicity that was found in his blood tests. After two weeks in care, he was released back to his wild home, thankfully in better shape than he was found. 

Warning: The below content contains graphic descriptions of injuries.

But not all animals are so lucky. In October, an adult female Eastern Cottontail rabbit was in a similar situation. She was caught in a trap intended for an opossum. When the person who set the trap approached to release her, their curious dog approached as well. The rabbit panicked when the dog approached and hit her face hard on the metal of the trap. She quickly caused herself severe injuries that included a large wound across her face with bone exposed. 

Wild rabbits are naturally high-stress animals and, for that reason, they are difficult to rehabilitate. Knowing this, our staff put extra effort into minimizing stress for her while she was with us. She required sedated wound care every few days, and weekly checks by the vets with the UW Wildlife Medicine Program. Her road to recovery was long, with delayed healing and multiple additional health issues, which extended her stay. 

Initially, her wound was the main concern. Its size and location would require extended healing time. This rabbit was bright and alert, displaying normal behaviors and eating well. However, during her rehabilitation journey, she experienced elevated levels of stress that eventually caused a severe decline in appetite. It took many weeks and lots of additional care, including appetite stimulants and syringe feedings, before staff began to see some improvement in her condition. 

Even though her appetite issues were being treated, the wound did not see much improvement despite regular cleanings, checkups, and medical treatments. Staff worked closely with the UW Wildlife Medicine Program to find a new treatment plan using an extracellular matrix on the wound, a material that provides support and stimulates tissue repair. This new treatment started to help her wound close at last. 

Despite our best efforts on her behalf, she passed away after two months of care. The long-term stress that comes from being in a rehabilitation center likely contributed to her passing. This was an especially hard case for all the staff and caretakers who put a lot of time and hope into her recovery. 

So, how can you help ensure the health and well-being of animals that may come into contact with a live trap? First, only use a live trap when absolutely necessary. 

Live traps are best used to rescue an injured or sick animal for rehabilitation. When using a live trap, expect to catch and promptly release other animals that will be caught in it before you catch your target animal. Do not use a live trap when weather and temperatures are extreme. If you need to capture an animal with a live trap, ensure that the trap is checked at least twice a day during the summer and every two hours in the winter to ensure that accidentally caught animals can be released and that appropriately trapped animals do not injure themselves.

Using live traps to relocate animals is not advised. Even if an animal does not self-injure in the trap like the animals we mentioned, there can be other poor outcomes. Many animals will attempt to return to their original location and risk their lives (and human safety) by traveling across roadways, yards, parks, and other populated areas. Relocation during breeding season also may leave babies to starve. Oftentimes, another nuisance animal will move into the newly opened habitat that a relocation creates—meaning that relocation may not permanently resolve the problem! Our alternative recommendations for methods to use with nuisance animals can be found here.

If you believe a wild animal needs to be trapped and rehabilitated, please call DCHS’s Wildlife Center at (608) 287-3235 and we can share further instructions on how to humanely use a live trap.