Write up by the City of Cape Town’s Communications : The City of Cape Town and the Cape Leopard Trust hosted a snare awareness information session and conducted a snare patrol at the Melkbos Corridor and Blaauwberg Nature Reserve. Conservation officials from across the City of Cape Town reserves attended to improve their knowledge and elevate skills on how to mitigate snaring, and to transfer learning back to their reserves.
A snare is an anchored noose made from wire, rope, or cable that is used to capture an animal. Snares are a common method to catch wildlife for bushmeat in South Africa. In the Western Cape, across agricultural, fynbos and peri-urban landscapes, snares mostly target game species such as small antelope and porcupine.
‘This illegal hunting method is indiscriminate and cruel. Animals are usually trapped in a snare for an indefinite number of hours and they usually sustain massive tissue damage and they cannot simply be released without treatment. The pain the animal endures is unimaginable. We urge residents to refrain from using snares and to report them if found,’ said the City’s Ald Eddie Andrews, Deputy Mayor & MMC: Spatial Planning and Environment.
Caught animals die from dehydration, starvation, and infected injuries where the snare cuts into the flesh. It is a slow, agonising death. Snares have significant negative impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem function. Snares remove prey animals that leopards, caracals and other predators eat, and this may increase the likelihood that predators hunt domestic animals. Predators themselves also get caught in indiscriminate snares.
Picture: Conservation Namibia