WASHINGTON TWP., Pa. — Environmentalists with the Lehigh Gap Nature Center are advising hikers with pets to "use caution" on the Appalachian Trail around the Lehigh Gap.
In a Facebook post, the center said a hiker "discovered dog treats embedded with fish hooks" over the weekend along the trail, between Route 873 and the George W. Outerbridge Shelter in Lehigh County.
Executive Director Chad Schwartz described the area as "pretty heavily trafficked," and "fairly busy" during this time of year.
That section of the trail connects the nature center to the trail system through Woodpecker Trail, but is not directly on the nature center's property, Schwartz said, so the incident was reported to the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
He said the Game Commission is investigating.
"We haven't had anything like this happen before," Schwartz said in a phone interview Monday. "Hopefully it's very isolated and hopefully the hiker found everything."
Photos show at least a dozen treats with several fish hooks protruding from them; Schwartz said the hiker removed the treats from the trail.
The post was shared over 3,500 times on Facebook.
"People are sick.... I don't understand," Nina Mantle said in a repost.
"Ugh," Liesl Klein said in a repost. "We don't hike near here, but this is a good reminder to reinforce our 'leave it' out on the trail. Be careful out there friends."
A spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Game Commission was not available for comment.