Serengeti De-Snaring Programme

Animal poaching is a major problem that not only threatens the very existence of a number of animal species in Tanzania like Rhinos and Elephants, but is also an issue that endangers the fragile balance of the eco-system of the wild places that these animals live in.

‘Snaring’ is a prevalent form of animal poaching throughout many protected areas in Africa. It is done via a simple means of using snares made from pieces of wires, shaped into a loop, anchored down and placed in an area of high animal activity with the sole purpose of killing wildlife for bushmeat. This form of poaching, while effective, is far from efficient mainly because it doesn’t discriminate which type of animal gets caught, resulting in the deaths of many threatened and endangered species.

It is estimated that around 100,000 animals are killed in the Serengeti ecosystem each year.

True to our commitment to help protect the environment and create a sustainable framework that ensures a long-term regenerative supply of the wildlife and our natural resources, ONE NATURE, a founding member of SENAPA Investors, proudly supports the Serengeti De-Snaring Programme — a joint project between Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), SENAPA INVESTORS and Frankfurt Zoological Society FZS in the Serengeti National Park.

This programme was created to help mitigate the effects of illegal snare hunting with the hope to ultimately eliminate the problem, by organising, training and setting up anti-snaring teams who will cooperate closely with the Serengeti National Park authorities and go out to the field to collect snares.

Only six months after the initiative started in April 2017, the first 8-man team composed of two SENAPA rangers, four COCOBA members (ex-poachers and approved by SENAPA) and two retired SENAPA rangers now employed by the project, have successfully managed to remove 7331 snares within the Serengeti National Park area.

While the programme is off to a good start, the goal is to establish at least six teams to effectively patrol and carry out operations for the entire SNP. And for this goal to come to fruition, the group encourages even more stakeholders and donors to support and contribute to this necessary and worthwhile cause.

To know more, please visit:
https://fzs.org/en/projects/serengeti-conservation/serengeti-de-snaring-programme/