Snare Aware looks back at a successful 2024
Snare Aware put out a review of 2024. The NPO recorded a 78% increase in snare removals, with 99 removed during December alone.

SNARE Aware shared its retrospective review of 2024, highlighting the sheer quantity of snares removed during the course of the year and its progress in educating and bringing about awareness in the general public.
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A member of the non-profit organisation, whose identity will be kept anonymous due to safety concerns, disclosed that during the festive period alone, 99 snares were removed during 19 sweeps. While no live animals were rescued, a dog was rescued during a sweep over the past weekend.
“Where we have been able to consistently operate, we have seen a decrease or complete cessation of snare poaching. With Amanzimtoti being our hometown and focus area for the last five years, many areas in the area are now ‘under control’, which has allowed us to branch out into other suburbs and assist other communities. For example, we have removed 211 snares from Umdloti over the last two weeks. While we have managed to curb the snare poaching, illegal dog hunting is still rampant. Unfortunately we have no mandate or authority to intervene with this form of poaching,” explained the member.
They suggested getting your local SPCA, security company or SAPS involved in order to discourage dog poaching and to educate the general public about poaching.
A total of 708 snares were removed in 2024 – a 78% increase from 2023. Thus far in the Amanzimtoti area, the NPO has removed a total of 1 043 snares. Hot spots included Ilanda Wilds, Santo Alberto and the Illovo River valley.
Over 120 000 people were reached through social media and thousands were reached via newspaper publications. Snare Aware conducted 10 training workshops with conservancies, reserves and communities, while five awareness presentations to schools, NPOs and other organisations were done.
In the review, it is revealed that a whopping 20 798km were travelled, 1 689 man hours were contributed to the NPOs mission and 3 032km were walked.
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