Threatened Lynx Killed by Fur Trade; HSUS Sues |
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July 6, 2006
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FurBearerDefenders.com |
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This Canada lynx suffered in a steel-jawed leghold trap similar to those used in Minnesota. |
By Pierre Grzybowski
Fewer than 100 Canada lynx can be found in Minnesota today, yet at least a dozen of them—listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA)—have been killed or injured by trappers there in the last few years. To halt this threat to one of the nation's most imperiled animals, The HSUS filed a lawsuit July 5 arguing that Minnesota's fur trapping program violates the ESA.
How did it come to this?
The Fur Trade
It is no secret that the fur industry kills more than 50 million animals each year. Many of these victims of vanity suffer and die in indiscriminate, painful traps, including the notorious steel-jawed leghold trap—a device so cruel it has been banned in more than 80 countries.
Retailers and designers like J. Crew, Wet Seal, Stella McCartney, Jay McCarroll, Marc Bouwer, Richard Chai, and Duckie Brown are all shunning the fur trade entirely, with fashion giant Ralph Lauren the latest to announce that he will no longer sell fur. As terrifying reports emerge from China, including millions of dogs and cats being killed for fur (video), and raccoon dogs being skinned alive (video: extremely graphic images), more and more people recognize that the cruelty inflicted on animals for their fur is unsupportable.
An Indiscriminate Killer
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This Canada lynx died in a snare because of the Minnesota DNR's trapping policies—and the demand for fur. |
But what about the hidden costs of the fur trade? Many people do not know that fur trappers commonly maim and kill birds, pets and other animals in their indiscriminate traps along with the intended targets.
Studies have shown that trappers trying to catch animals for their fur often catch a large number of other animals. Both the wanted and unwanted animals can be left suffering and dying in traps for days, and the trapper may simply throw away the unwanted animals when he or she returns to the trap. The HSUS has trapping case reports on over 35 dogs and cats caught in traps in Minnesota since 1980, though the number is probably vastly higher, since most cases likely go unreported. In fact, dogs are so commonly caught in traps in the United States that a large trapping association recently advertised an insurance policy for its members that offered up to $300,000 in protection against dog owners who sue after their animals are injured in traps.
And though not nearly as common as incidents concerning dogs or cats, the powerful traps used by the fur industry—designed to kill or hold powerful animals like 60-pound beavers or 100-pound wolves—also sometimes injure children or adults.
Just When You Think the Fur Industry Can't Get Any Worse
The HSUS recently obtained federal government records showing that federally threatened species are also becoming victims of the fur industry at an alarming rate. Minnesota's roughly 6,000 fur trappers—acting with the approval of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources—set out wire snares, steel-jawed leghold traps, and body-crushing Conibear traps to trap bobcats, foxes and other animals for the fashion industry. These indiscriminate traps are killing threatened lynx.
State officials are aware of the gravity of the problem, but have refused to take any action. Instead, the state has made matters worse by relaxing the permit system for fox and bobcat snaring, and by lobbying the state legislature to remove the bobcat snaring permit requirement entirely.
A Reckoning in Federal Court
The fur industry's actions are not only cruel, but they are also illegal. In April 2006, The HSUS and HOWL (Help our Wolves Live) notified the Minnesota DNR (PDF) that its actions in authorizing traps that kill threatened species violates Section 9 of the ESA, and that a lawsuit would be forthcoming unless the state took immediate steps to halt the slaughter of lynx in Minnesota. To date, the DNR has not responded.
The complaint (PDF) seeks a declaration that the state's fur trapping program violates federal conservation laws, and an injunction against any further trapping activities that are likely to kill more lynx.
What You Can Do
While the Minnesota DNR is legally responsible for ensuring that fur trapping does not harm threatened species like the lynx, consumers and fashion designers who wear or use fur create the demand that sends trappers into the field with their deadly traps.
Sign our pledge never to wear fur, and ask your representative to support the Truth in Fur Labeling Act. Because there is usually no way to tell whether fox, bobcat or other fur is from Minnesota, the only way to avoid further imperiling federally listed species is to avoid all fur.
Pierre Grzybowski is deputy manager of the Fur-Free Campaign.
See the Video
Trapping Dangers for Pets
Fur Shame
