CAGE TRAP DOOR-OPENING ASSEMBLY AND CAGE TRAP WITH THE SAME

A pre-tensioned door opening assembly and a lock plate releasing mechanism for an animal cage trap having an entry door operative with an animal access opening and a locking mechanism that is engaged upon door closure to prevent the door from being opened by a trapped animal. The pre-tensioned door opening assembly includes a plurality of cable routing elements, and an automatic-return retracting mechanism having a cable. The housing of the automatic-return retracting mechanism is mounted outside the enclosure with the cable being routed through the cable routing elements and operatively coupled with the door. The lock plate releasing mechanism may be a timed-release mechanism which is mounted on the trap roof in functional cooperation with the locking mechanism. The timed-release mechanism disengages the locking mechanism to allow the pre-tensioned door opening assembly to open the entry door of the trap and release a trapped animal through the animal access opening once the operator is a safe distance away.