Who Is Setting Traps And Killing Foxes In Manasquan And Sea Girt?
This troubling story emerged over the weekend when a man walking with his son in a dunes area of the Jersey Shore found a fox that had been trapped with a potentially illegal trap. As heard on The Morning Rat Race, multiple snare traps were located in the dunes area near the border of Manasquan and Sea Girt. The fox traps were set in the dunes area not far from the National Guard Training Center in Sea Girt. Sadly, speculation is the only hard fact as to who might be responsible for setting this – and other – snare traps.
What Are Snare Traps?
A snare trap is a wildlife trap that is set low to the ground. The trap consists of a metal wire loop attached to a sturdy tree or heavy object buried in the ground. The trap is placed in an area that is known to be popular with local wildlife. Paw prints or breaks in the local foliage show where wildlife usually travel to a water or food source. Someone placing a fox trap will place the snare trap in a manner that an animal that is low to the ground will unknowingly poke it’s head into. When the animal senses the wire around its’ neck, it pulls the trap. Every pull makes the trap get tighter.
In New Jersey, snare traps are legal if the trapper takes an educational course and has a license, among other regulations.
In this particular case, the trap was potentially illegal because it did not have a marking to identify who set it as required by law.
Who Could Have Set This Snare Trap?
At this point, the only thing local residents have is speculation as to the party responsible for setting the trap that caught this fox. According to the eye witness, the required ID numbers were not attached to the trap in question.
- An individual trapper/hunter without a hunting license
- A wildlife “specialist” who is hired by the National Guard or Army National Guard, possibly to control the fox population to protect the nesting area of the piping plover (a protected bird native to our area)
Are Other Animals Or Humans At Risk?
Some Manasquan and Sea Girt locals are concerned about the safety of the fox traps for animals other than foxes. People walking their dogs or possibly young children who might be unaware of the danger in the dunes. We contacted a local fox rescue professional, Karen Cooper. Mrs. Cooper operates “Cooper’s Fox Den” in Manalapan.
She stated: These fox traps are an “indiscriminate killers. Any wild animal, cat or stray dog can be caught. Because of the video, I’m assuming these snares have “a stop” on them as to not strangle the fox. I’ve been told the fox can be left in the snare for 24hours until trapper returns. It is very cruel in my opinion to leave any animal to struggle that long.”
Mrs. Cooper continued, “I’m told this is being done on private property- federal land- state land… But anyone can walk across the beach and any child or dog on the beach can walk right onto the snares.”
Not much other information is known about the snare traps as of this writing. Updates will be provided as this unfolds. Background research for this story came from a post in a Facebook group that is not public. Video of the fox in question was posted Sunday, February 4, 2023.
WRAT is no stranger to Manasquan, New Jersey. Every January, Morning Show co-host “Gotts” hosts the Manasquan Polar Bear Plunge to benefit the LADACIN Network! Pics below:
GALLERY: 2024 LADACIN Plunge
