More than 5 000 snares have been removed across the Lowveld since the beginning of the year, but relentless poachers continue to lay them.

According to the South African Bush Warrior Association’s Jaco Klopper, the situation is worsening.

Instead of just catching wildlife, people’s beloved pets also fall victim to this heinous crime. He has been removing snares for the past 10 years.

Klopper said the number of snares has drastically increased recently.

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He believes the weakening economy is playing a role in the destruction of local wildlife. Some poach to get food while others they do it to sell bushmeat for money. “We are finding more snares in local reserves and wildlife estates than ever before. These animals die a painful death. We are forced to euthanise many of them,” Klopper said.

According to him, not a day goes by without finding snares; not only in the wild, but even where people with pets live.

“This year we have so far managed to remove more than 5 000 snares in the Barberton, Hazyview, White River, Uitkyk, De Rust, KaMagugu and Rhenosterkop Valley areas. These poachers keep on returning to the same areas before moving on. We do not have a big team and poachers are always ahead of us as they work in large numbers; it’s a challenge,” he said.

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Klopper and his co-workers are struggling and constantly putting themselves in danger when looking for snares and saving animals.

He explained they start by looking for animal tracks that lead them to the captured animals or where the snares are.

Upon arrival they carefully have to remove the snares and the animal while keeping a lookout for poachers.