In terms of poaching, snares have become public enemy number one across much of sub Saharan Africa. Criminals indiscriminately lay what essentially becomes a minefield for wildlife.

Copper or steel wire is generally used and coiled around in a circle to become up to six strands thick. They are then secured over game tracks and fastened to the base of a tree. Targeted areas are usually littered with snares that are then checked at a later time for any trapped wildlife.

How a Snare Works

When animals walk through the snare they become entangled in the wire which then tightens as the animal struggles to free itself. Quite often the snare tightens around the neck of an animal and a slow and agonizing death lies ahead. It often takes days for the animal to die in this fashion as the wire gradually works its way deeper and deeper. Many times however the animal will avoid getting the snare caught around its neck, only to have it tighten around their leg. When this happens the snare works its way towards the bone as the animal struggles to get free. If not found it will slowly perish from dehydration or be eaten by other wildlife.

Snares are not isolated to Africa. They remain a huge problem across many parts of Asia where poachers are targeting species such as tiger for medicinal purposes, as well as other animals for the bush meat trade.

An indescriminate killer

Snares are indiscriminate in that do not choose a particular specie. A snare laid for a buffalo can just as easily trap a wild dog or an elephant. Around 70 per cent of animals that are trapped in snares are never actually found or recovered by the poachers that trapped them. This indiscriminate waste rips through wildlife populations.