US expands review of cyanide predator traps after boy hurt
U.S. officials are launching an expanded review of predator-killing cyanide traps and additional guidelines for workers deploying the devices after one sickened a young boy in Idaho and killed his dog.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Thursday the expanded review should be finished this fall and workers, meanwhile, will follow interim guidelines intended to make sure anyone near a device is alerted.
The spring-activated devices called M-44s look like water sprinkler heads embedded in the ground but spray cyanide when triggered by animals attracted by bait. They’re used to kill coyotes and other livestock predators, mostly in Western U.S. states.
In March a 14-year-old Idaho boy was injured and his dog died when they encountered one on federally-owned land about 500 yards (457 meters) from his home.
