Via Wildwoods Founders:
Yesterday evening, friends called about a red squirrel caught in a leghold trap set on the edge of a city park. We don’t know how long the squirrel had been trapped there. See the brown discoloration on the fur by his mouth? He’d been trying to chew his way out of the trap.
Once we got him out of the trap, we examined him while in consultation with an experienced wildlife vet. Though his leg looked fine on the surface, the soft tissue injuries caused by ligature or crush type injuries like this are much worse than they seem.He had absolutely no response to deep pain in that foot or leg. The leg and foot would have eventually necrosed and fallen off. A squirrel who is missing a leg is at an extreme disadvantage, and does not do well.
Again, this trap was not only a hazard to wildlife (which it was clearly meant to be), but also a hazard to pets and children playing nearby (three girls sitting nearby were the ones who spotted him and called us).
