A baby coyote died after getting stuck in an illegal steel-jaw trap in Los Angeles. He was stuck for more than a day during the 4th of July celebration. After investigations, an American man has been arrested for cruelty to animals.
According to the animal welfare organization Project Coyote, a local teen discovered the baby stuck in the trap after hearing cries of distress. The coyote pup had been struggling to get free from the trap during the hot summer weather.
The young coyote did not survive his injuries and was euthanized by Los Angeles Animal Services.
The man reportedly set the steel-jaw trap, a device that is illegal in California, and failed to check it for over 24 hours as required by law. The pup was held by one foot during the hot weather and the terrifying 4th of July fireworks.
“This poor pup suffered an agonizing and needless death, as do thousands of coyotes across the country,” said Project Coyote’s Southern California Representative Randi Feilich.
“Coyotes are curious, playful, loyal animals who love their families, and maiming them with torturous steel-jaw traps is not only hideously cruel but illegal,” said People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Senior Vice President Lisa Lange.
“The terror that this pup endured only ended when a kind teen stepped forward. We must be good neighbors to our local wildlife and stop demanding the extermination of sensitive animals who are simply trying to survive.”