A raven found in a leg-hold trap east of Tucson had to be euthanized after it was brought to a wildlife rescue center.
A person driving along Redington Road on Saturday afternoon found the bird in the trap and brought it to the Tucson Wildlife Center.
The damage to the bird's leg was so severe the animal had to be euthanized, the center said in a news release.
The rescuer told center officials that he found the unsecured trap in a sandy wash on public land. The trap is triggered when an animal steps on it.
This trap was baited with meat and was likely designed to ensnare bobcats or coyotes, the center said.
It is illegal to set a leg-hold trap on public lands and illegal to trap if you haven't paid a trapping fee to the Arizona Department of Game and Fish. It's illegal to trap birds, including ravens, that are protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the wildlife center.
