The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services program announced today that it would stop using predator-killing cyanide traps in Idaho, at least temporarily according to the Idaho Statesman.
This after a cyanide trap killed a dog in Pocatello and sickened a 14-year-old boy on March 16
The decision came after four environmental and animal welfare groups filed a lawsuit against the USDA in federal court in Missoula last week, and 19 conservation and wildlife organizations filed a petition two weeks ago. The cyanide bombs were being used to kill predators and pests.
Bethany Cotton is with WildEarth Guardians, one of the groups suing the Federal government:
"It’s certainly a very good first step and necessary in Idaho given the recent tragedy, but we have concerns about whether it will actually be followed. We’re calling on the program to make this moratorium a permanent ban and not just in Idaho but across the country on both private and public lands," Cotton says.
In a letter sent to conservation groups today, the USDA announced it has ceased the use of M-44 cyanide bombs on all private, state and federal lands in Idaho, and has removed all M-44s that were deployed in the state.