Don’t approach it yourself.”

Elizabeth Futoma, Portsmouth animal control officer

PORTSMOUTH —If you spot a coyote with a trap on its leg, Portsmouth Police want you to give them a call. 

And, so do several other people who banded together on social media to offer a reward for any information provided to law enforcement that leads to the arrest and conviction of the people responsible for setting the illegal trap. As of Tuesday night, the reward was up to $1,020.

The coyote was last seen Sunday morning along Wapping Road, near the Middletown line, according to Portsmouth Animal Control Officer Elizabeth Futoma.

She urged anyone who sees the animal to call police at 683-0300.

“If you can take a picture, take a picture, but call it into the police station,” she said.

Unless you have a permit, using a steel leg foothold trap to catch a coyote or other fur-bearing animal is illegal under Rhode Island General Laws.

“The only way you can use one is if you get a special permit from (the R.I. Department of Environmental Management), say for farmers if they’ve proven they’ve tried everything else to control the coyote problem,” Officer Futoma said.

Judging by a photo snapped by a local resident, the coyote appeared to be in good condition “trap aside,” said Officer Futoma. She urged people to be cautious if they come across the animal. 

“Someone on Facebook was like, ‘I can just go and take the trap off,’” she said. “Don’t approach it yourself.”

DEM is handling the investigation, she added.

This is the second coyote that has apparently been caught in a leg trap on the island in the past two weeks. One was seen near Third Beach in Middletown March 21 and later euthanized.

Reward offered

Meanwhile, several people have donated money towards a reward for any information provided to law enforcement about those responsible for the illegal trap.

“A few of us here on Facebook decided to pool our resources and create a small reward. I got the ball rolling with a $500 pledge and six more people have joined me,” said Russ Smith of Tiverton in a Facebook message Tuesday night. “The reward is at $1,020 as of tonight.”

Anyone who wants to pledge money toward the reward can call or text message 401/241-3793.