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Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit
Subsistence Poaching |
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"Working together to conserve our natural heritage." |
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Mammal poaching is of great concern as the bush meat market poses one of the greatest threats to Africa’s wildlife populations. Research has shown that between 1.9 and 3.5 million tons of bush meat is consumed in Central and Southern Africa on an annual basis. Gangs of poachers target a variety of mammal species such as buffalo, kudu, eland, impala and set snares in order to catch theses mammals as they migrate to and from food/water sources. These wire death traps cause tremendous suffering to mammals, sometimes taking the victim several days to die after having been snared.
Wire "snare" or trap set to catch animals |
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Young buffalo snared through its eye
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Bush butchery set up to dry the meat |
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Once these gangs have successfully killed and butchered a mammal, the meat is hung up to dry for several days before being sent to the local communities to sell. Bush meat is sold at cheaper rates than legal meat from established butcheries, thus creating a high demand for it.
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Impala butchered by a bad snare around its hindquarters |
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| Unfortunately, snares do not discriminate what animals they trap. Therefore, many larger mammals get caught in the snare and break it off causing their limbs, trunks, snouts and tails to be mutilated and infected. Predators also get caught in these snares and are often left to die.
Buffalo leg that broke off a snare and
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Male impala snared and butchered |
Kudu butchered and left to dry |
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Young warthog with a snare around its snout and mouth |
Warthog butchered and left to dry |
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