60 gin traps found near walking tracks

At least 60 dangerous gin traps have been found secretly hidden near tracks used by thousands of locals in Rotorua's popular Whakarewarewa Forest.


The traps - made of steel and which spring shut at lightning speed - were discovered off popular forestry roads and mountainbike tracks after a dog had its leg caught in one this week.


It is suspected they were laid at night by a possum hunter just a few days ago - and the discovery of dozens of them late yesterday has sparked a warning for forest users to take extreme car.


The traps are not illegal but forest users are outraged, saying children, adults and dogs could be maimed. Forest manager Timberlands says dogs should be walked on leads.


Rotorua resident Bruce Jamieson stumbled over one of the traps when walking his dog on Red Tank Rd on Tuesday night.


The dog ran off the gravel road only about 1m following a scent and got its leg snapped in the trap's metal claws.


Fortunately, the dog is so small that its leg was able to be removed with only serious bruising and swelling.


Mr Jamieson said if a bigger dog or child stepped in the trap, it could lose its leg. He said some of the traps were found less than 1m off popular mountainbike trail Mad If You Don't as well as off Red Tank Rd.


Mr Jamieson said lots of people took their dogs into that area of the Whakarewarewa Forest because it was more remote and they were able to run off the lead.


Mr Jamieson, who helped Timberlands staff find the rest of the traps yesterday, said the hunter had used a vehicle to drive into the area and was "lazy" because he attached the traps to the first tree off the tracks and roads.


"I guess they're not fussy about whether they catch possums, dogs or kids."


Timberlands forest risk manager Colin Maunder said the discovery was a huge concern and ideally the hunter would come forward and own up. But if caught, Timberlands intended to lay trespass charges and would consult a lawyer about further charges.


Mr Maunder said it was disappointing someone had gone up there to set traps, abusing the trust Timberlands had put into the community to have access to the forest to run, walk, cycle, horse ride and mountainbike. "We're not going to know if we've got them all or if there are others out there ... My advice is if you have dogs, they should be on a leash at all times."


Mr Maunder said he had heard of illegal possum hunters setting traps in other forests but never in such a popular spot as the Whakarewarewa Forest. "They avoid it purely because it's so busy."


Rotorua Mountain Bike Club life member and Rotorua District Councillor Dave Donaldson said studies showed the Whakarewarewa Forest was worth $10 million a year to Rotorua's economy - $7 million alone from mountainbiking. "A lot of them take their dogs, a lot of children go in there, particularly during school holidays and Castlecorp staff go in there for reticulation of our waste water. Anyone going in there for that [laying traps] is just being reckless and it endangers people. If people go in there and do things in a cavalier way, it puts other people at risk and we can't tolerate that."