Police Search For Suspect Setting Illegal Wildlife Traps In California

Police and wildlife officials in California are seeking the public’s help identifying a suspect or suspects who set an animal trap in the Santa Cruz Mountains that reportedly killed a gray fox.

The Scotts Valley Police Department said officers responded on Nov. 12 to the Glenwood Open Space Preserve for a report of a wild animal caught in a trap. The arrived to find the trap contained an animal that had been dead for “several days.”

Police on Monday shared images of the WCS Tube Trap recovered from the scene. The trap was turned over to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) for further investigation.

Police did not publicly specify the species of animal found in the trap, but KRON reported it was a gray fox, which is native to California and known for controlling rodent populations. The gray fox is generally protected in the United States as a harvested species, with hunting and trapping regulated at the state level.

“Trapping is a highly regulated activity per Fish and Game Code and California Code of Regulations, Title 14,” police said.

Police are asking anyone with information about the use or placement of the pictured trap or similar traps in the area to contact Scotts Valley Police at (831) 440-5670 or call CDFWs anonymous CALTIP line at 1-888-334-CALTIP, or submit a tip by texting “CALTIP”, followed by a space and the message, to 847411 (tip411).