A three-day anti-poaching patrol near Phalaborwa in Limpopo removed 76 large snares, highlighting a renewed threat to wildlife in the area.
Image used for illustrative purposes/By: Jeffrey Coolidge/Getty Images
The Phalaborwa Natural Heritage Foundation (PHNF) found the snares during a patrol conducted from 18 to 20 September in a densely vegetated area where buffalo are present, according to Letaba Herald.
Snares hidden in thick vegetation
The snares were reportedly recently placed and deliberately concealed in dense vegetation. PHNF said the traps were arranged in lines and clusters across a wide area, with long gaps between them, making them particularly difficult to detect.
The absence of obvious tracks also made it difficult for the patrol team to determine who had placed the snares.
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Snaring activity increases as bush dries
According to PHNF, snaring had been relatively quiet across the Phalaborwa region for several months. The organisation believes the floods earlier this year may have contributed to the lull.
The flooding created dense vegetation and widespread water and food availability, making wildlife movements and congregation areas less predictable and harder for people to move through.
As the vegetation begins to dry out, however, PHNF has reported a sharp increase in snaring activity.
76 traps removed before they could catch wildlife
The 76 snares were removed during the patrol before they could potentially injure or kill wildlife.
The latest patrol highlights the ongoing conservation challenges around Phalaborwa, where organisations such as PHNF work to detect and remove illegal traps from wildlife areas.
Source: Letaba Herald
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