To the Editor,
Re: Hikers stumble on traps near Linley Valley, Oct. 10.
In our city, if a landowner decides that the beaver living in the wetland areas on his private property are a nuisance, then he or she can legally trap and kill them.
Anybody who has seen how a leghold trap works will know and understand that they are inherently cruel and unnecessary and also are banned in more than 60 countries around the globe including in all of Europe. The part of its body that would get caught in the trap would be held between two metal bars that snap shut. It would not die right away but would suffer needlessly and horribly.
What kind of a society are we, to allow this just because the animal is considered a nuisance or annoying to the landowner?
We are supposed to be a great city here in Nanaimo and we are behaving like the outback. I think legislation needs to be brought in to protect our wild species.
The traps, while on private lands, are also areas where families and their pets walk, making this a great danger to kids and dogs. This should not be allowed within city boundaries.
Joanne JonasNanaimo