The U.S. government is halting a long disputed method of killing coyotes in the Southwest using so-called "cyanide bombs."
The Bureau of Land Management says it’s stopped using a spring-loaded trap that explodes cyanide powder when it’s triggered. It was used to control coyotes and other livestock predators in the West.
The agency drew criticism from animal rights groups and even the Department of Agriculture in part for unintentionally killing pets, non-predators and even animals from endangered species. They’re called M-44s and use a scented bait to lure animals in before killing them in a cloud of sodium cyanide. They’ve accidentally killed a family dog and even injured a teenager in 2017.
