The Collarum™ -
Canine Capture Device Designed to Meet International Humane
Standards
.There
is a worldwide demand for more humane devices to capture animals,
both fur bearers and predators. This demand arises for both
environmental and ethical reasons. An Agreement on International
Humane Trapping Standards signed in 1995 by the European Economic
Community, Canada, and Russia may ultimately lead to the banning
of all steel leghold traps in those countries. Already some
states in the U. S. (e.g., California, Colorado and Massachusetts)
ban these traps.
Green Mountain,
Inc. holds patents on two different traps (patent #5,956,891--the
Collarum™ , and patent # 5,109,627--the Crossfire™)
which are designed to meet humane standards. Foreign patents
are also pending. Testing and development has been taking
place for several years in conjunction with the National Wildlife
Research Center of the USDA's Wildlife Services division.
The Collarum™
is designed to capture canines (coyote, fox, dog, wolf, etc.)
by throwing a cable loop over their head and around the neck.
The end of the capture loop is anchored in the ground and
the canine is held like a dog on a chain. It is unique in
several ways.
First, it is canine-specific
because of the trigger mechanism. The trigger requires a pull
action rather than the push/depress mechanism normally employed
by traps. The effectiveness of this action for canine specificity
has been proven through the years by the M-44 cyanide gun,
which uses a similar trigger principle. The only animals caught
by the Collarum™ have been canines. The trigger and spring-loaded
action distinguish the Collarum™ from snares which can
be very indiscriminate in what they capture.
Second, the Collarum™
is much more humane than existing traps. In a study conducted
by the Predator Research division of the National Wildlife
Research Center, Dept. of Agriculture, (Texas, Feb. 1999),
70% of coyotes caught showed no significant injuries, while
the most prevalent damage was to the teeth in approximately
1 of every 5 animals. Most dogs and fox sustain substantially
less damage because they fight less than coyotes. The recent
development of the Relaxalock™ cable assures an even
more "dog-friendly" capture.
 Third,
this trap is much safer to utilize in areas where people,
pets and other domestic animals may come in contact with it.
An unknowing human springing the Collarum™ is at little
risk. Animals other than canines are very unlikely to be caught
by this device even if they spring it, and captured domestic
dogs can be released with no harm done. Unlike cage traps
which are large, bulky, and difficult to conceal, the Collarum™
is light, compact, and easy to hide. This gives it distinct
advantages for Animal Control Officers (ACOs) in high visibility
areas. The Collarum™ has also proven its effectiveness
in capturing animals that won't approach a cage trap or tolerate
the close approach of humans.
As one Wildlife
Control Officer in Wyoming puts it, "In the course of
catching feral dogs, fox and coyotes, I have found the Collarum™
traps to be a viable option for lethal and non-lethal control
of problem canids where other control devices could not be
used." Besides catching canines in remote settings, ACOs
have caught coyotes in the backyards and gardens of urban
residents, feral dogs at landfills, and coyotes and fox in
pastures with livestock present. Gary Beeman of Lafayette,
CA reports, "I put the Collarum™ out the first weekend
I got it. In three days I caught two feral dogs that local
Animal Control Officers had been after for two years. They'd
run out of options. I look forward to using it again in similar
circumstances." Recently an ACO in Louisiana reported
setting his Collarum 12 times and capturing 11 dogs.
*
Gruver, Shivik,
DeLiberto. Evaluation of New Cable Restraints for Capturing
Coyotes. National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins,
Colorado.
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