An organised poacher is thought to be responsible for a large majority of the snares plaguing the North Coast’s green belts.

He is thought to be running an organised, large-scale poaching operation to supply informal markets with bushmeat.

This according to the Durban-based Snare Aware group who have removed 223 snares from the area in a series of sweeps over the past year.

In their repeat visits to the North Coast, focused on areas where green belts border active building sites near Zimbali Lakes, Ballito Hills and in Sheffield, Snare Aware have noticed consistent snare placement by a man they call ‘Richard’.

“Of the 223 snares, Richard is responsible for at least 180 of them,” said the Snare Aware spokesman, who asked not to be named due to the dangerous nature of their work.

“We can attribute these snares to this one individual due to the very intricate and particular details of his snare set-ups.”

“The snare material used, the way he ties his knots, the habitat type he targets, and the specific tree species he uses as deadweights for his snares are all indicators for a snare set by Richard.”

The poaching has already made an impact on wildlife in the areas Snare Aware has visited, but they are hopeful that continued pressure will deter Richard from returning.

“We are still trying to work our way through high-risk greenbelts in around Ballito, to fully cover his area of operations.”

“We still have many hectares to cover, but have already made a significant dent in his operation, and we have noted a slight change of tactics as a result of the pressure we are applying.”

To follow Snare Aware’s activities, follow them on Facebook.

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