“Think you’re only catching rats when you set outdoor traps? Think again. Wildlife officers rescued a doe from a rat trap in Evergreen earlier this month. She had been spotted for several days with the device on her mouth.“
Cheers to the good people at Colorado Parks & Wildlife who were able to track down a deer with a large snap trap used to catch rats latched onto her jaw and remove it. The poor animal was spotted with the trap in the Brook Forest area of Evergreen, Colorado as early as July 15th. The trap likely prevented the doe from eating or drinking and without human intervention could have lead to her death. This type of trap is often baited with attractants like peanut butter which might have been caused the deer to lick it. The doe was darted with tranquilizers so officers could safely remove the trap before tagging its ears and sending it on its way.
“We finally caught up with her to sedate and remove the trap. It takes a little while for the deer to regain strength, but our officers wait until she’s able to run off on her own. The bigger issue here is the deer was likely being fed by humans, which is illegal and very harmful to animals. The doe was comfortable approaching people while wearing the trap. That’s a bad sign. Remember to never feed wildlife, intentionally or on accident.”
We finally caught up with her to sedate and remove the trap. It takes a little while for the deer to regain strength, but our officers wait until she's able to run off on her own. pic.twitter.com/MUJ5pP954P
— CPW NE Region (@CPW_NE) July 22, 2024
Remember folks, never feed wildlife and if you are setting traps outdoors be mindful where you place them.
