Humane Society Asks USFWS to Stop Trapping on Big Pine Key

Filed at 10:56 pm under Animals and Florida Keys/Lower Keys/Big Pine Key and Environment by Keys

In a letter to the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), The Humane Society of the United States asks the federal agency to immediately halt a trapping program in the Florida Keys because it is needlessly killing raccoons and other native wildlife species. Local residents and wildlife advocates have expressed outrage over the senseless trapping of native wildlife. In its letter to USFWS Southeast Director Sam Hamilton, The HSUS points out that the Fish and Wildlife Service may be violating federal law by carrying out this reckless and indiscriminate killing campaign.

Last March, the USFWS hired USDA Wildlife Services to humanely trap feral and free-roaming cats and bring them to animal shelters, which then would place them in colonies or return them to their owners. The stated goal of the program is to reduce predation upon the endangered marsh rabbit. However, instead of removing cats, it turns out that Wildlife Services has been trapping and killing large numbers of raccoons and other wildlife under a program which costs taxpayers $50,000. “The irony is that the main species they are trying to protect – the Lower Keys marsh rabbit – is rarely preyed upon by raccoons,” explains Laura Simon, field director of urban wildlife for The HSUS. “The federal government is killing dozens of raccoons and other species indiscriminately, for no good reason, and taxpayers are footing the bill.”

In addition, this particular island-dwelling raccoon is extremely unique, being small and near blond in color. This misguided trapping campaign to save one unique population may actually be imperiling another. The endangered marsh rabbit gained some notoriety in the 1980’s after catching the eye of Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner—who donated funds to help the rabbit’s conservation The marsh rabbit’s Latin name (Sylvilagus palustris hefneri) actually reflects the name of its Playboy patron.

The HSUS Wild Neighbors Program promotes non-lethal means for resolving conflicts between people and wildlife and cultivates understanding and appreciation for wild animals commonly found in cities and towns ( humanesociety.org/wildneighbors ).

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