Our Emergency Rescue team is experiencing the usual high volume of summer rescue calls: helping ducklings stuck in storm drains, squirrels in car engines, skunks in window wells, foxes hit by cars, birds caught in fishing line. But the most heart-breaking incidents involve traps, and we may begin seeing a lot more of them.

Our rescue team responded to a call about a raccoon whose arm was crushed in a cruel hand trap. We estimated that she had been there for several days, and the trap acted as a tourniquet which kept her from bleeding to death. We immediately transported her to a wildlife rehabilitator; the raccoon will lose her hand, but escaped with her life.

That same week, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) passed a proposal allowing squirrels, cottontail rabbits, opossums and other animals deemed “nuisances” to be trapped and killed without a permit. It is now legal for your neighbor to place cruel devices like the hand trap wherever and whenever they choose on their property. Not only does this pose a danger to domestic pets who may get loose, but it will also increase the suffering of wild animals.

We understand why people get frustrated with wildlife. But we see their pain first-hand when cruel tactics are used, and urge our community to consider humane wildlife management solutions. You can find information on our website at https://www.hshv.org/get-help/wildlife/, and our Resuce Team is availalbe for humane wildlife removal help in Washtenaw County: 734-661-3512.