SA Bush Warriors refuse to give up on dogs in Mbombela
Poachers tied one of the pets to a tree with a wire snare around its neck, leaving it to die in the bush.
Members of SA Bush Warriors braved heavy rain and dense bush to rescue two dogs trapped in snares near Mbombela on September 8.
The owners of a Boerboel named Thor became concerned when he went missing on Kaapsehoop Road close to their farm. The cold, however, did not stop the team from setting out to search for him.
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“We arrived early and immediately began sweeping the area using our fine-tuned search-and-rescue methodology,” said Jaco Klopper of the organisation.
Missing boerboel tied to a tree
After hours of intense tracking and walking more than 35km, they found him caught in a snare. But what they discovered upon finding him was even more disturbing.
“The dog had been removed from the snare, with the snare still around his neck, carried into a dense, overgrown area and tied up by the poacher – seemingly left there to die the most horrific death imaginable.”
Klopper said Thor had severe swelling to his head, visible wounds, swollen lips and was severely dehydrated after being trapped for about three days without food or water.
Luckily, he was safely removed from the scene and immediately transported to a veterinarian, where he was admitted for treatment.
Team finds trapped Weimaraner in Alkmaar
When the team returned after the rescue, they received another call from the distressed owner of a Weimaraner, Daya, who had vanished in the Alkmaar area.
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“During our sweep, we located five areas where animals had previously been caught – including evidence involving two porcupines, a duiker and what appeared to be a wild cat species. We made absolutely sure the missing dog was not caught in the immediate area before widening our search towards neighbouring farms.”
After an hour, the team located Daya. “What followed was an incredible team effort. Everyone played their part, working together to get the dog safely recovered,” Klopper said.
Daya was immediately transported to a veterinarian for assessment and treatment.
Klopper expressed gratitude to every person who searched, tracked, assisted, made calls, helped with the recovery and refused to give up. He reiterated that if people come across an animal caught in a snare, they should contact SA Bush Warriors to ensure that the animal does not injure itself further.
