USDA responds to cyanide trap issue

On Wednesday afternoon the US Department of Agriculture spoke-out about the March incident that sent one 14-year old Pocatello boy to the hospital and killed his dog, after a cyanide trap detonated on land behind his home.

USDA representatives have been tight-lipped about the investigation, until Wednesday. Still, neighbors are left with unanswered questions.

Here is the full USDA statement:

” As a program made up of individual employees many of whom are pet owners, Wildlife Services understands the close bonds between people and their pets and sincerely regrets such losses. We are grateful that the individual who with his dog when it activated the M-44 device was unharmed, however, we take this possible exposure to sodium cyanide seriously and are conducting a thorough review of this incident. Wildlife Services has removed M-44s in that immediate area, and will work to review our operating procedures to determine whether improvements can be made to reduce the likelihood of similar occurrences happening in the future.

This was a rare occurrence. Wildlife Services policies and procedures are designed to minimize unintentional actions with domestic pets. It posts signs and issues other warnings to alert pet owners when wildlife traps or other devices are being used in an area for wildlife damage management. M-44s are spring-activated devices that release cyanide when they are activated through upward pressure or pulling. These devices are only set at the request of and with permission from property owners or managers. This is the first incident with an M-44 device in Idaho since 2014. Wildlife Services provides expert federal leadership to responsibly manage one of our nation’s most precious resources – our wildlife. We seek to resolve conflict between people and wildlife in the safest and most humane ways possible, with the least negative consequences to wildlife overall. Our staff is composed of highly-skilled wildlife professionals who are passionate about their work to preserve the health and safety of people and wildlife.
Best,
R. Andre Bell
Public Affairs Specialist
United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Legislative and Public Affairs”

On Wednesday afternoon, several neighbors said they still need to know if the rest of the traps have been removed.

In a recorded phone conversation between one local USDA representative and concerned neighbor Phil Arizola, the rep told Arizola he moved the traps himself after the incident happened this past month.

However, Arizola and several of his neighbors who live next to the boy’s home on Buckskin Road, say there was three feet of snow covering both private and BLM property where the traps were placed, but nobody ever saw any tracks or activity of anyone who could have walked back there.

As part of USDA regulations for placing these cyanide traps, it requires a sign to be placed within 25 feet of each trap. However, every neighbor claimed they never saw any signs in that area indicating M44 traps were present. The only visible signs marked-off private property.

You can read the regulations here: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/directives/2.415_m44_use%26restrictions.pdf

The USDA representative told neighbors each M44 had GPS coordinates so he could go back and pick them back up. However, after the incident happened to Canyon Mansfield, his family found another M44 roughly 50 yards away from where the first one killed his dog.

USDA statistics show these M44 traps have killed more than 100,000 coyotes since 2009 across the nation. The government organization initially intended to eradicate coyotes using this method.

However, the same statistics show 230 dogs nationwide were accidentally killed by M44s detonating.

Most recently, Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad this week asked the USDA to stop making and placing these cyanide traps within the city. Currently, the USDA has a facility on Dillon and Second Avenue where it has already produced more than half a million M44 traps.

The Bannock County Sheriff’s Office and the USDA is currently investigating this situation.