SA Hunters Mopani Branch Snare Busters Report 2022

Mopani Branch – Snare Busters 2022 Report

Authored by: Eugene Troskie
16 August 2022
SAHGCA National Conservation Committee
Conservation Coordinator SAHGCA Mopani Branch

Mopani Branch Snare Busters’ area of operation is from the Kruger National Park’s Western boundary to Letsitele in the East, Giyani in the North and the Orpen road in the South, but the majority of operations take place within a 15km radius of Phalaborwa.

Background

The Snare Busters initiative was developed with the idea to expand it countrywide and to encourage other SA Hunters’ branches to start their own Snare Busters projects. All these initiatives would connect at a national level to combat snare poaching. The data that is collected during these Snare Busters activities could assist law enforcement and conservation organisations in a combined and concerted effort to curb snare poaching.

Snare removal statistics

During 2022 Mopani Branch conducted 18 snare removal operations.
24 branch members participated in the snare sweeps.
In total 529 snares were located and removed.
29 animals found killed in snares, these include 1 Sable, 2 zebra, 3 wildebeest, 6 waterbuck, 4 impala, 1 giraffe and 8 buffalo.
A total of 8 poaching camps were discovered.
3 poachers were arrested after intelligence were gathered during a snare sweep operation.
Approximately 112km patrolled on foot during operations.

Snared wildlife rescue statistics

During 2022 Mopani Branch assisted with 9 snared wildlife rescue operations.
Unfortunately, 4 of these animals had injuries too severe to be saved.
These were 1 Waterbuck bull, 1 Impala ram, 1 Warthog sow and 1 Buffalo bull.
5 successful rescues include 1 young elephant bull, 2 young spotted hyena, 1 female hippopotamus and 1 male leopard.
Costs of these rescue operations are approximately R 45,000

Snare Busters – the way forward

The Snare Busters initiative was developed with the idea of expanding it on a country wide scale and getting other branches to start their own Snare Busters projects that connects on a national level of combating snare poaching and collecting data that can assist law enforcement and conservation organizations in a combined effort to curb snare poaching.