Baby skunk found dead in an illegal rodent trap in Mississauga

A call for concern about a baby skunk stuck in a trap sadly ended with the animal dying in Mississauga.

The call for the baby skunk came on July 27, a City of Mississauga Animal Services tells insauga.com. The city didn’t reveal the location of the incident, saying it was on private property.

Unfortunately, when an Animal Services officer arrived, the skunk had already died.

The skunk was caught in a snap trap, solely used for trapping and killing rodents, the city said in a Facebook post. Using body-gripping traps like this one is illegal, as per the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act.

This type of trap is illegal for outdoor use. City of Mississauga photo

Simple snap traps are for indoor use only, the City of Mississauga said.

Animal Services and the Ministry of Natural Resources can charge people with “permitting distress to an animal” by  placing snap traps outdoors.

In this case, no one has been charged.

“Animal Services is currently investigating the matter,” the city said. “It is difficult to identify who was responsible for setting the trap as wildlife can get caught in the trap and subsequently move away from the initial trap location.”

Skunks are a natural part of the area’s healthy ecosystem.

Animal Services will not respond to resident calls to trap and relocate healthy skunks from their property, as doing so is illegal in Ontario, the City of Mississauga states.

But if you see an ill or injured skunk, particularly if it is moving in circles, staggering, falling over or paralyzed, or if approaching people or pets, contact Animal Services at 905-896-5858.

Toronto Wildlife Centre also responds to injured wildlife calls.

for more information on skunks in Mississauga, see the city website here.