Latest news with #CritterCare
CTV News
06-08-2025
- Health
- CTV News
B.C. non-profit warns about dangers of rat traps to baby skunks, raccoons
A raccoon staying at CritterCare, a wildlife refuge in B.C. is shown in this image. A B.C. refuge for injured wildlife is out with a warning after seeing an increase in serious and often fatal injuries to baby skunks and raccoons caused by 'snap traps' designed to catch rats and mice. Jenna Kuncewicz, the senior wildlife supervisor at Critter Care Wildlife Society in Langley said this specific type of trap can do 'so much damage.' Kuncewicz told CTV News Vancouver the organization has seen a noticeable increase in reports about these traps harming native wildlife. From January to June of this year, Critter Care treated eight animals injured by the traps. However, in July the number almost doubled, with 15 animals admitted. 'They cause severe lacerations, severe injuries, often compound fractures, severed limbs,' said Kuncewicz. Recovery from these types of injuries doesn't happen overnight, and Kuncewicz said the extent of rehabilitation required varies on a case-by-case basis. 'It can range from a few weeks to a few months,' she said. But in the majority of cases, the injuries have proven fatal. Only five animals admitted to the centre this year have survived, Kuncewicz said in an email to CTV News. 'In addition to admitted animals, we receive many calls of people passing by wildlife caught in rat traps which we can not get to in time or locate after the initial call. There are so many out there that we cannot save,' she wrote. snap traps Critter Care provided this photo to show the type of "snap trap" they say is harming baby skunks, and raccoons. CTV News reached out to Tomcat, one of the manufactures of these types of mouse and rat traps, and a spokesperson said they take these concerns seriously. 'As the product label suggests, they are intended to trap mice and rats, not small raccoons, baby skunks or other animals.' The statement further explained, 'these are powerful traps, we do recommend caution in placing them in areas where wildlife, small animals, pets and children are present.' Kuncewicz suggested using less harmful measures to safeguard your home, including sealing any potential problem areas and using predator scent sprays.
CTV News
27-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Orphaned bobcat ‘sisters' rescued in Mission, B.C., released back into the wild
Two rescued bobcat 'sisters' have been released back into the wild. Two orphaned bobcat kittens are enjoying their first taste of freedom after being released back into the wild, seven months after they were first rescued in Mission, B.C. In a social media post announcing the release on Monday, the Critter Care Wildlife Society said the farewell to the two female big cats, named Teetonka and Kaya, was 'bittersweet' for staff after a cold season of bonding. 'Their first winter was full of discovery,' the post said. 'They experienced snow for the first time, hesitantly at first, but soon they were lounging in flurries without a care.' Over the course of the seven months the kittens were given all the care and training needed to ensure they could be safely and successfully reintegrated into the wild, including a carefully managed diet that would encourage them to hunt and forage as they typically would in their natural habitat. Christmas trees generously donated to the centre had become 'perfect hiding spots' for the young hunters, helping them practice their 'stealth and stalking skills,' the post said. 'Rescued as tiny, vulnerable kittens, they grew strong and confident under our care, developing the instincts they need to thrive,' said the society. 'From playful chases to sibling tussles, they spent their days exploring and honing their natural behaviours.' The two kittens were dubbed 'sisters' after they were found just a half-an-hour distance from each other on the same day in October. Announcing their rescue at the time, Critter Care said it was highly unlikely that they were actually from the same litter, but had become as inseparable as 'real sisters' after their rare joint rescue. One kitten was found in a barn weighing just four pounds, while the other was rescued from the side of the road weighing less than two pounds, the rescue agency said. 'Watching them grow and develop their wild instincts has been an incredible journey for our team,' the post read. 'We are proud to have given them the best possible start, and we look forward to hearing about their adventures in the wild.'
