Exploitation of Wildlife in Western Soutpansberg Conservancy

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).

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 16^th 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.

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.

Snared and skinned leopard, paws harvested. Medike, Soutpansberg.
Photo Jean-Francois Heitz.

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.

Vervet Monkey left to rot in snare. Photo Jean-Francois Heitz.

Python (Python natalensis) fat is used for magical purposes. Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.

The general public can help by removing snares when found in the field and by reporting incidents of poaching directly to LEDET. In addition, landowners can get their employees to do a monthly snare sweep on their properties to remove any snares. The Primate and Predator Project have conducted several snare sweeps and removed hundreds of snares from the Soutpansberg Mountains. If you would like assistance from them please contact Philip at 071 841 8361 or wildlife.help@durham.ac.uk.

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.  

Porcupine spines, easily collected by non-lethal means. Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.