INJURIES AND BEHAVIOR OF RACCOONS (PROCYON-LOTOR) CAPTURED IN THE SOFT CATCH(TM) AND THE EGG(TM) TRAPS IN SIMULATED NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS

The behavior and injuries of raccoons held for 12 and 24 hr in the Sof t Catch(TM) and the EGG(TM) traps were studied in simulated natural en vironments. Nine raccoons held for 12 hr in the Soft Catch(TM) receive d minor injuries. However, one of nine raccoons held for 24 hr in this trap mutilated itself. The EGG(TM) trap caused only Minor injuries to nine raccoons held for 12 hr. and nine others held for 24 hr. Thus th e EGG(TM) trap can be. expected, at a 95% level of confidence, to hold greater-than-or-equal-to 70% of the raccoons on traplines for 24 hr w ithout serious injury. Raccoons captured in the Soft Catch(TM) fought their surroundings more than the trap. Those captured in the EGG(TM) t rap fought the trap more than their surroundings. During the 24-hr cap ture study, escape behavior was more intense during the first 12 hr of capture, during both day and night.