AMANZIMTOTI’S wildlife protectors, Snare Aware, recently trekked to Hluhluwe’s Bonamanzi Nature Reserve for its annual catch-up and reunion with friends and partnering organisations like UK-based Dogs4Wildlife and Bhejane Nature Training’s students.

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A Snare Aware member, whose name will remain anonymous for safety reasons, said that the inclusion of many groups, including honorary officers of Ezemvelo, St Lucia, Pietermaritzburg and Thurlow, resulted in a strong team descending on the wild spaces of Bonamanzi in search of snares.

“Our morning sweep took us back into last year’s hotspot, which yielded very positive results with a massive decline in snares found and signs of wildlife repopulating an area that was devoid of wildlife last year. With only three snares found, compared to the 18 last year, we were very pleased,” said the member.

The teams headed into the northern sections of the park, where previously Snare Aware removed hundreds of snares.

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“We were very happy to find only two snares in the north-western corner of the park. The north-eastern corner was a different story, with a very active syndicate targeting this portion of the park. The team removed a total of 35 snares. These snares were densely set within thickets amongst the grassland, ensuring that any animal seeking refuge inside the thicket would be snared as every entry and exit point was cut off,” they said.

The member explained that the teams located snare stashes, removing them from circulation and effectively putting a dent into the poachers’ operation. Snare Aware and its extended team managed a haul of 40 snares over a weekend there. The member noted the decreased levels of poaching are a positive sign, and extended thanks to every person and organisation that contributed towards the sweeps over the weekend.

“A big thank you to Dogs4Wildlife for the generous donation towards our operating costs,” concluded the member.

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