Honorary Rangers recently cleared up an army of snare traps; protecting the Kruger’s wildlife from the harmful beasts!
Kruger National Park, South Africa (30 September 2024) — A whopping 250 snare traps were recently found and removed from the Kruger National Park. Thanks to SANParks Honorary Rangers who united from their respective parts of the country (the East Rand, Lowveld, Vaal Triangle and Boland Regions), the snare traps were safely removed over the space of a single weekend, making a life-saving difference for the wildlife in the region.
While the news is a fantastic example of collective efforts for wildlife protection, it also shines a glaring spotlight on the challenges our animals face in areas like the Kruger when it comes to poaching tricks.
There’s a common misconception that because the Kruger National Park is as famous as it is and holds so much touristic value, it is somehow protected from cruelties like poaching. Sadly, this is far from the truth to which the recent snares removal speaks volumes.
What Are Snare Traps?
As CapeNature explain, a snare trap can be a simple piece of wire (or cable or nylon) that takes on a noose-like form. They can be placed in different settings—from the opening of a hole in the ground where a small animal might dwell, or up onto trees, on fence posts or on pathways.
Snare traps are a hunting method that tends to be popular because they’re low-cost and often camouflaged (at least from the perspective of an unassuming animal). Not only is it a very cruel means of trapping an animal (as they can die a slow and hard death), but it’s also very much prohibited.
With this context in mind, the knowledge that there were 250 death traps sitting pretty becomes a tough pill to swallow. However, it also jolts us all into greatly appreciating the efforts of the SANParks Honorary Rangers—a volunteer group who give their own time to assist with tasks typical rangers don’t always have the capacity to get to.
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