General Poaching

Poaching is the illegal taking of wild plants or animals contrary to local and international conservation and wildlife management laws. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching. (Wikipedia)

The snares are mainly made of wire and tied to branches. A loop of the wire is positioned in such a way that if the animal walks on the game path, it will get its head caught in the loop, which tightens as it is pulled.

The poacher set snares at different levels and sizes depending on the animal’s size and species which he wishes to catch.

This form of poaching is a successful method, and very difficult to monitor. Those very experienced poachers tend to make use of the full moon to infiltrate farms whilst hunting with dogs. The poachers’ dogs are very well trained, moving silently and obediently through the bush. Poachers often walk with two sticks, tapping them in various ways to give orders to the dogs.

During winter, the dogs are also used to chase bigger game (such as kudus, wildebeests…) until exhaustion. The game is weaker during this time because of the poor nutrient quality of the grass.