Guest writer Philip Faure from Durham University's
Primate and Predator Project, Lajuma Research
Centre, reports:
As
the global supply of natural resources is increasingly strained by rapid human
population growth, the importance of conservation continues to grow. Scarcity
of resources and economic opportunities throughout most of Africa result in
negative impacts on the environment. One of the most detrimental human impacts
has been the bushmeat trade. With increasing poverty and unemployment rates,
and with Africa’s population predicted to double by 2050, protein resources
will become increasingly scarce.
Consequently, illegal and unsustainable
harvesting of bushmeat for sustenance and income will become more prevalent.
Wire snaring is a popular harvesting method, given that snares are inexpensive,
effective, and easy to obtain, set and conceal. Snares are non-selective and
can inflict significant by-catch (i.e. killing animals not intended for
consumption). Unfortunately, the impact of snaring on our local wildlife is
difficult to quantify due to the secretive nature of bushmeat poaching.
Landowners often don’t know about set snares on their land and poachers often
move away from an area abandoning active snares. Snaring can especially impact large
carnivore populations, such as the leopards in the Soutpansberg Mountains.
These animals are particularly vulnerable to snaring given that they are wide
ranging (have a high probability of running into an abandoned snare), occur in
low densities (they have large territories), and are long-lived (only reaching
sexual maturity after 2 years of age).
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| An increasingly uncommon sight. Large adult leopard caught on camera trap. Medike, Soutpansberg. Thought to be same individual killed and skinned. Photo Ryan van Huyssteen. |
Leopards
have been living in the Soutpansberg Mountains for thousands of years. The
rugged and, mountainous environment creates favourable leopard habitat removed
from the threat of human disturbances occurring in the lower regions. Leopards
are a protected species in South Africa and listed as “Vulnerable” by the IUCN
(the International Union for the Conservation of Nature). The Primate and
Predator Project, a research station located in the mountains, has been
monitoring the leopard population in the western Soutpansberg since 2008 and
has found a shocking 66% decline in leopard densities during the last 8 years.
On
Sunday, the 16th of October, a team of volunteers organized by the
Primate and Predator Project and Soutpansberg Centre for Biodiversity and
Conservation, entered the Medike Mountain Sanctuary to conduct a snare sweep in
a forested area near the Sand River. A total of seventy-five active snares were
taken from the bush. Amongst the snares we found two bush buck carcasses, the
remains of a juvenile baboon, and a jar of poison hidden away in the brush. The
dense concentration of snares suggests this is not subsistence poaching, but instead
points towards a larger bushmeat-trade syndicate operating in the area.
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| Predator and Primate Project (left) and Soutpansberg Centre for Biodiversity (right) and conservation after snare sweep having removed 75 active snares from a small area. Photo Maritjie Underhay. |
The
following day, a grim discovery was made of a leopard carcass close to the area
of the snare sweep. The carcass was still freshly skinned, with numerous dog
tracks, and footprints surrounding the scene. Coagulated blood around the neck
and throat confirms that an illegal snare was the cause of death. LEDET Environmental
Compliance and Law Enforcement as well as the South African Police Service are
currently investigating this incident.
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| Snared and skinned leopard, paws harvested. Medike, Soutpansberg. Photo Jean-Francois Heitz. |
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| Every full moon for the last few months this group of men and their dogs moves in to hunt. These are the people who were responsible for the skinned leopard. Photo Ryan van Huyssteen. |
Poaching
is an on-going problem in the Western Soutpansberg conservancy. People readily
buy bush meat and trade in animal products for traditional medicine. The
majority of poaching incidents go unreported. Even worse, 80% of snared animals
are left to rot in the bush and more than 90% of animals caught by snares are
by-catch.
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| Vervet Monkey left to rot in snare. Photo Jean-Francois Heitz. |
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| Python (Python natalensis) fat is used for magical purposes. Photo Ryan van Huyssteen. |
The
western Soutpansberg is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the fauna and flora
are part of our South African Heritage. The wildlife in the area is a strong
attraction for local tourism with the Soutpansberg being a world-renowned
biodiversity hotspot. The rampant and indiscriminate eradication of wildlife
affects us all and is a crime against our future generations. Help us save
species and safeguard the Soutpansberg Mountains.
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| Porcupine spines, easily collected by non-lethal means. Photo Ryan van Huyssteen. |
