Snaring a save

Fourways Review tracked down one snare hunter, Kevin Pearl, who is also a volunteer at Friends of Free Wildlife (FFW).

Pearl joined The Greater Kyalami Conservancy (Gekco) to clean up the Inanda Country Base on 16 July and managed to free the bush from one snare.

“I arrived a bit late, as the teams were setting off, but still managed to tag onto our team of Wendy Brodie, Lesley Stephen, Claudius Sibanda and Shiree Darley. The area that we were covering was mostly open paddock, but bordering onto the stream on one side,” said Pearl.

“There were a number of small clumps of bushes and small trees, and these seemed to be the ideal place for poachers to place snares. The paddock is part of the home range for a number of small mammals and wild fowl who would all shelter in the bushes at night.”

The observant Pearl noticed sticks which were unnaturally positioned blocking a clear animal path, leaving a narrow gap between two branches.

“Sure enough, there was a fine strand of wire forming a noose hanging across the gap. I cut the branch away holding the snare in place and called the rest of the team over to show them. We now knew what we were looking for,” said Pearl.

He added that by removing the snare, he managed to save at least one hare from a fatal trapping.

Read more:

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