PHALABORWA – The Phalaborwa Natural Heritage Foundation (PHNF) removed 76 large poachers’ snares during a three-day anti-poaching patrol, exposing a renewed surge in illegal snaring activity across the Phalaborwa region.

Snares laid in buffalo country

The patrol was conducted from Friday, September 18, to Sunday, September 20, across a large, densely vegetated area where buffalo are present.

Hard to find, harder to trace

PHNF said poachers had recently set the snares and strategically concealed them. Snare lines and clusters were spread across a wide area, with long gaps between them, making them difficult to detect.

The snares were well hidden in the thick vegetation, while the absence of visible poacher tracks made it difficult for the team to trace those responsible.

Why snaring went quiet

PHNF said snaring activity had been relatively quiet across much of the Phalaborwa region for several months, which it believes may have been linked to the floods experienced at the beginning of the year.

The floods resulted in unusually dense vegetation, while water and food became widely available across animals’ habitats. This made animal movements and congregation points harder to predict and hampered movement through the bush.

A warning from PHNF

However, as the bush has started drying out, PHNF has recorded a sharp increase in snaring activity. The organisation warned that snaring was now increasing rapidly across the region.

The 76 snares were removed before they could claim more wildlife.

Thanks from the community

Community members have applauded PHNF for its continued anti-poaching work and efforts to protect wildlife in the Phalaborwa area.