Snare Aware detects areas with poaching activity

THE Snare Aware team headed up to Tugela Game Reserve recently, to assist the Anti-Poaching Unit (APU) team with safeguarding the diverse populations of wildlife in the 6 700 hectare reserve.

Snare Aware consists of a group of locals who share a passion for wildlife. They walk our green belts and retrieve snares.

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They are in need of like-minded volunteers to join them. “Conservation in South Africa has many challenges. The costs of securing and managing habitats is one aspect. Trying to cover and safeguard wildlife over large expanses of bush with limited resources is another.

So, we volunteered our services to provide the Tugela team with experienced boots on the ground to help them cover potential high-risk zones and identify areas of poaching activity within the reserve.

Our team were more than excited to escape the Durban humidity, explore a new reserve, and help the team out with the enormous anti-poaching task that they tackle with their small team each day,” said a Snare Aware committee member, whose identity cannot be disclosed due to safety reasons.

The teams covered many kilometres sweeping the Tugela thornveld for signs of poaching activity. While snare activity was limited to one side of the reserve, poaching activity was picked up throughout, showing just how under siege the protected area is from commercial-oriented poaching syndicates.

“According to the APU team, poachers take orders from far and wide. Certain body parts are also specifically harvested, such as leopard skin which is usually sold to the wealthy and royalty.

Poachers were also once spotted on camera at another reserve carrying out just the head of the giraffe, which was for a selected order,” said the committee member.

Should a person wish to be involved in Snare Aware and assist in their mission, either as a volunteer or committee member, contact Snare Aware via their Facebook inbox to join their private group, as all events are kept private for the safety of those involved.

“We realise that joining us physically in the bush may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but we do not discourage anyone from becoming a Snare Aware member.

All we ask is that you spread awareness of our goals and objectives, share our posts and assist us to engage with others, in order for us to make people more aware about poaching in general and wildlife snares,” said the committee member.

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