By
Nokuthaba
Dlamini
Figures
from
the
Zimbabwe
Parks
and
Wildlife
Management
Authority
(ZimParks)
show
that
1
760
wire
snares
were
recovered
in
Hwange
National
Park
and
the
Victoria
Falls
area
in
2024.
In
the
first
ten
months
of
2025,
a
further
1
048
snares
were
removed,
underscoring
the
persistence
of
illegal
snaring
in
one
of
southern
Africa’s
most
important
conservation
landscapes.
ZimParks
says
snaring
is
most
common
along
park
boundaries
and
buffer
zones,
particularly
around
Sinamatella,
Hwange
Main
Camp,
Matetsi
and
Robins
Camp,
as
well
as
in
nearby
communities
such
as
Dete
and
Mambanje.
“Our
teams
remain
actively
deployed
on
the
ground,
conducting
regular
patrols
and
monitoring
exercises
to
combat
snaring
and
other
illegal
activities,”
ZimParks
said
in
a
written
response.
“This
consistent
field
presence
has
been
instrumental
in
safeguarding
wildlife
populations.”
However,
conservation
organisations
operating
in
these
areas
say
the
rising
number
of
recovered
snares
points
to
an
escalating
problem
rather
than
success.
Painted
Dog
Conservation
(PDC),
which
runs
extensive
anti-poaching
patrols
in
and
around
Hwange,
describes
wire
snares
as
one
of
the
most
indiscriminate
threats
to
wildlife.
supplied
by
Painted
Dog
Conservation
(PDC)
“Poachers
are
quite
skilled
and
know
what
they
are
targeting,”
said
David
Kuvaoga,
operations
director
at
PDC.
“But
the
snare
itself
is
not
selective.”
He
said
animals
of
all
sizes
are
caught.
“We
have
seen
elephants
trapped
by
the
trunk,
lions,
buffalo,
giraffe
and
painted
dogs,”
Kuvaoga
said.
“Once
an
animal
is
caught,
it
can
suffer
for
hours
or
days.
Many
die
without
ever
being
seen.”
PDC
rangers
removed
more
than
3
500
wire
snares
in
2024
across
Hwange,
the
Gwayi
Valley
and
surrounding
forestry
areas.
“For
every
snare
we
remove,
there
are
animals
that
have
already
been
injured
or
killed,”
he
added.
In
the
Victoria
Falls
area,
the
Victoria
Falls
Anti-Poaching
Unit
(VFAPU)
has
reported
a
steady
increase
in
snaring
incidents,
particularly
during
the
dry
season
when
wildlife
movements
intensify.
VFAPU
recorded
59
snares
recovered
in
September
2025
and
54
in
October,
alongside
confirmed
wildlife
losses
including
buffalo
and
hyena.
“Animals
lost
to
poaching
is
always
a
bitter
pill
to
swallow,”
VFAPU
said
in
its
October
operational
report.
“Sadly,
we
lost
three
animals
that
we
know
of.
From
every
case,
we
learn
more
about
how
these
poaching
groups
operate.”
VFAPU
said
the
regular
recovery
of
snares
reflects
active
and
ongoing
poaching,
prompting
expanded
patrols
in
collaboration
with
ZimParks
and
neighbouring
ranger
units.
At
the
Conservation
Wildlife
Fund
(CWF)
in
Hwange,
conservationists
caution
against
viewing
high
snare
recovery
figures
as
progress.
“It
is
difficult
to
describe
collecting
snares
as
success,”
said
Debra
Ogilvie-Roodt
of
CWF.
“Success
would
be
seeing
fewer
snares
being
set
in
the
first
place.”
She
said
snares
remain
lethal
long
after
they
are
placed.
“A
snare
doesn’t
stop
killing
once
it’s
set,”
Ms
Ogilvie-Roodt
said.
“Unless
it
is
found
and
removed,
it
will
continue
to
trap
animals.
We
have
seen
lions
with
snares
around
their
necks,
giraffes
caught
and
elephants
injured.
Many
do
not
survive.”
ZimParks
acknowledges
the
scale
of
the
challenge
and
says
it
is
intensifying
enforcement
and
cooperation
with
conservation
partners.
The
authority
works
with
organisations
including
Painted
Dog
Conservation,
Conservation
Wildlife
Fund,
Friends
of
Hwange,
Dete
Animal
Rescue
Trust,
Victoria
Falls
Anti-Poaching
Unit
and
Victoria
Falls
Wildlife
Trust,
many
of
which
operate
outside
protected
areas
where
most
snares
are
set.
“These
partners
play
a
critical
role
in
early
detection
and
rapid
response,”
ZimParks
said.
ZimParks
says
its
anti-snaring
strategy
includes
increased
law-enforcement
patrols,
de-snaring
operations,
sniffer
dogs,
intelligence
networks,
technology
such
as
drones
and
camera
traps,
and
community
engagement
through
programmes
like
CAMPFIRE.
The
authority
warns
that
snaring
threatens
not
only
biodiversity
but
also
livelihoods.
“Snaring
poses
a
serious
ecological
threat
and
undermines
wildlife-based
tourism,
which
is
a
major
revenue
earner
for
local
communities
and
the
country,”
ZimParks
said.