NELSPRUIT – A second dog has been rescued from a wire snare in the Friedenheim area within the past two months. The latest search-and-rescue mission was conducted by the Mpumalanga Animal Crime Watch (MACW).
The unfortunate animal’s cries were heard by MACW’s Mr JK Klopper late on Saturday afternoon. A rescue mission was not possible due to a lack of equipment for night-time operations.
Early on Sunday morning, Klopper and a small group of MACW Bush Warrior volunteers tracked the dog in the thick brush. Lowvelder accompanied the team. Although the canine’s cries and barking had stopped as the group approached it, it started to wag its tail and this movement enabled them to spot the animal. It took two hours to find the dog.
“You must approach a dog caught in that situation calmly and patiently,” said Klopper, who directed at the scene. According to him, the animal needed to trust his rescuers first before any attempt to approach it should be made.
During this rescue mission, Klopper managed to approach and handle the weakened animal within five minutes.
The wire was wrapped around the front left paw of the young male cross-breed.
The dog was released from the trap and taken to safety. It was not known for how long it had been ensnared. “He is extremely thin,” Klopper pointed out. Once the complete snare had been removed from his paw, the famished animal wasted no time in consuming a large bowl of food.
Rover, also a male, was rescued in the same area last December. He has been adopted by Klopper and MACW co-founder Ms Viana van der Heever.
Visit www.macw.co.za for information on Bush Warrior snare clearing and to see what the wishlist is.
Read earlier articles about the wire snare poaching problem in the Lowveld here.
Here is a video of this rescue:
