NEW LISBON, Wis. – An animal rescue team launched a search for a bear that stepped into a small-game trap in the woods near this western Wisconsin town. The bear has been seen limping with the spring-loaded trap clamped on its right front paw. This not only cripples the animal but can led to fatal infection. Alex Williams, a volunteer with the organization Help Asheville Bears of North Carolina, called it imperative to find the bear quickly before it loses its paw. The bear had been spotted scavengng for food and getting into bird feeders around New Lisbon for several days. If rescuers find the bear, they will tranquilize it, remove the trap, and set it free.
Luring the bear. Bait and scents have been laid at the seven-acre property where the bear was last seen. Ten trail cameras are in place to spot the animal.
About traps
Trapping bears is illegal in Wisconsin, but the trap involved was designed for smsll animals like racoons. There is no trapping season in Wisconsin, the law does allow landowners to trap and remove nuisance animals that are on their land year-round, albeit for ciitics who regard trapping as barbaric.