[WARNING] Graphic Images: Adult hyena dies a terrible death after being caught in a snare
"It's strange how people lose their minds when game is shot for sport, but nobody seems to care about snares and how they slowly and painfully kill wild animals."
Conserv Security, a local security company, discovered a fully grown male brown hyena in a snare in Muldersdrift North on Friday, 23 February.
The badly injured hyena needed emergency medical attention and a local vet was contacted to assist.
They darted the hyena to ensure immobility, assess it and treat it where possible.
Photo: Facebook.
He had lost a part of his left front leg, his scapula was broken and he had a dislocated leg. He also had massive neck injuries, caused by the snare. Sadly, the hyena had to be put down because of its injuries.
Also Read: Claw saves dog from nasty snare
“So many animals suffer the same fate at the hands of ruthless poachers,” said Trevor Roberts, owner of Conserv.
“We don’t yet know the extent of the impact it has on the environment, mostly because people remove the snares, but seldom report them. I’ve decided to try to get people to report snares in the area more regularly, so that we can establish the extent of the problem.
Photo: Facebook.
“It’s strange how people lose their minds when game is shot for sport, but nobody seems to care about snares and how they slowly and painfully kill wild animals. It’s such a silent killer.”
Conserv is concerned that they’re only touching the tip of the iceberg because there are many poachers in the area that no one knows about.
“If we can get farmers or visitors to do two things – report snares, and remove them, we should be able to get an idea of what we are dealing with. The sad thing is, the poachers probably knew about the hyena and because they can’t eat or sell it, they just left him there.
Photo: Facebook.
“We have lost another one of Africa’s lovely wild creatures. Poaching costs land owners so much and it’s so cruel towards the animals. And it’s an ongoing thing. We suspect the same people who are illegal dog hunters put up snares to catch wildlife.”
Roberts urges community members to report snares to Conserv by calling 083 655 1315. Alternatively, people can report to their local police station’s rural coordinators, as follows:
Muldersdrift Police Station: 011 952 4600
Ruimsig Police Station: 011 801 8400
Tarlton Police Station: 011 952 0000
Krugersdorp Police Station: 011 951 1111
Magaliesburg Police Station: 014 577 5100
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