Silent deaths by snares being addressed through collaboration

Snaring is often referred to as a silent or hidden killer of wildlife.

It is also a silent contributor to species decline. Snaring is a means of trapping wild animals through the placing of rudimentary and, lately, manufactured, wire or nylon loops in the veld to target a specific species, either for meat or for the traditional medicine trade. But, in many instances, secondary species, especially predators, are ensnared.

Unlike other forms of poaching, snares and their devastating consequences on biodiversity are often undetected. And, snaring for the bushmeat trade has become one of the most prominent threats to wildlife nationwide as it is no longer a low-impact subsistence activity, but the most common form of illegal killing.

The likelihood of snaring is often associated with complex socioeconomic, psychological and punitive factors such as poverty, food insecurity, social inequality, unemployment, historical legacies, inaccessibility of resources, weak or inadequate law enforcement and cultural traditions.

Though the drivers between subsistence poachers and commercial poachers vary and relate to the demand for bushmeat and animal body parts, poaching to order appears to be on the increase. Among the drivers of snaring in the Boland region of the Western Cape are:

• protein supplementation (95%);
• convenience (81%);
• pest control (12%);
• cultural requirements; and
• the commercial buying and selling of bushmeat.

During South Africa’s first Snare Mitigation Symposium in 2024, staggering figures of animal fatalities and injuries were displayed — only a tip of the iceberg in terms of the impact snaring has on biodiversity.

Among the figures quoted was the removal of:

• 1,513 snares and 195 snare mortalities from Letaba Ranch Game Reserve in 2023;
• 685 animals poached and 9,440 snares removed from Kruger National Park in 2023;
• 219 of the 426 animals presented for treatment between 2020 and 2024 in the Greater Kruger area were attributed to snaring;
• 44,600 snares removed in Limpopo between 2017 and 2024;
• more than 80 snaring incidents involving African wild dogs were reported over the past four years in Greater Kruger; and
• 5,993 snares removed, with 385 animals found dead in snares and 27 rescued since 2021 in the Phalaborwa area.

In February the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) delivered 3.5 tonnes of wire snares it had removed from Letaba Ranch to Down2theWire, an organisation that turns these destructive items into jewellery, raising awareness about poaching and creating jobs for local communities in Limpopo.

Because snaring is non-selective of the species caught, iconic species which attract international tourists, such as elephant, plains zebra and buffalo are often ensnared. Carnivores are frequent victims of snaring for body parts in areas such as the Greater Kruger. In the North West, more than 70% of the ensnared animals the provincial conservation authority attended to between 2014 and 2023 were carnivores with leopard as the most common and brown hyena second. African wild dogs and spotted hyena are particularly susceptible to snares.

Because of the nature of this wildlife crime, few snaring cases are reported to the police, and even fewer go to court due to the difficulties in evidence gathering that accurately implicates guilty parties. Minors are also often used to set snares

SANParks figures show that though poaching had decreased between 2023 and 2024, among the 403 animals ensnared in the Kruger National Park in 2024 were:

• 54 vultures;
• 19 elephants;
• a leopard;
• two crocodiles;
• a hippo;
• four black-backed jackal; and
• three tawny eagles.

Of the 1,088 poaching incidents over the two-year period:

• 792 cases involved snares;
• 293 poison; and
• five animals were caught in gin traps.

In 2024, 9,695 snares were removed from the Kruger National Park, while 46 poacher camps were dismantled.

A major problem is that poachers often forget where they placed their snares, causing species to be caught in them and die before they are later found by ranger patrols or NGOs working in the field. Because snaring is also often linked to poisoning, animals feeding off a poisoned carcass also become secondary victims of this crime.

Calculations by the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) on meat wastage indicate that about 100 tonnes of wildlife and 1.5 tonnes of cattle have been lost to snaring in recent years.

Because of the nature of this wildlife crime, few snaring cases are reported to the police, and even fewer go to court due to the difficulties in evidence gathering that accurately implicates guilty parties. Minors are also often used to set snares.

The National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act and the Threatened or Protected Species Regulations prohibit snaring. But this only applies to species listed as threatened or protected. At the symposium, the National Council of SPCAs indicated that provincial legislation in all provinces prohibited hunting with snares without a permit. However, legal definitions and terminology and the laws pertaining to snaring vary between provinces.

This inconsistency causes confusion and opens region-specific loopholes permitting the use of snares under certain circumstances. There is also inconsistency in the sentencing of offences.

Thus the need for a single national legal definition of snaring and a clear and overarching legislative framework which states that snaring is not permitted. Within this framework, caveats that enable snaring as a legal form of hunting or trapping should be abolished. In addition, sentencing options need to be consistent and respond to the harm caused by snaring.

Addressing snaring requires collaboration and partnerships — not only between government, NGOs and other stakeholders but also with communities.

Raising awareness, understanding why some communities snare less or more than others, and addressing issues such as meat shortages and alternative livelihoods are among the measures that can be used in working towards snare reduction — especially in communities living adjacent to, or in, conservation areas.

No solution will be credible without the involvement of the relevant community voices in co-development of solutions. Solutions need to be diverse, purposely inclusive and tailored to, and by, the people living in the affected areas.

What is needed is a national strategy led by a national forum to address snaring, increased knowledge sharing and awareness, improved data collection, collation and analysis, as well as resources on the ground to enable mitigation

The seriousness of snaring was not lost on the 140 delegates to the Snare Mitigation Symposium who delved into the impacts, drivers and solutions to this increasing threat to wildlife and the economy.

Co-led by the Cape Leopard Trust, the EWT, the South African National Biodiversity Institute, SANParks and the department of forestry, fisheries and the environment, it highlighted the need for a less “fortress” mentality and more community and sustainable use interaction among stakeholders towards achieving positive outcomes for this threat to wildlife.

Among the key decisions adopted as outcomes included:

• further research on the drivers and alternative livelihood solutions;
• more cohesive legislation to address snaring and other wildlife crimes;
• more centralised reporting and monitoring to ascertain the extent of the problem; and
• creating a greater understanding of the impact of snaring not only on biodiversity but also on the economy and wellbeing of communities.

What is needed is a national strategy led by a national forum to address snaring, increased knowledge sharing and awareness, improved data collection, collation and analysis, as well as resources on the ground to enable mitigation.

Since the event, the host organisations have strategised on the steps needed to uncover and understand snaring through research, address conservation through the implementation of strategies to address snaring, increase education to reduce snaring, and eventually lead to a sustainable long-term solution for both people and wildlife.

• Dr Jeanetta Selier is a senior scientist at the South African National Biodiversity Institute. Eleanor Momberg is the communications manager for the Endangered Wildlife Trust

For opinion and analysis consideration, e-mail Opinions@timeslive.co.za