Snares and snaring in Serengeti National Park

Illegal snaring poses a severe and underappreciated threat to wildlife in Serengeti National Park, causing significant injuries, disabilities, stress, and mortality across diverse species, including iconic herbivores, carnivores like lions, and non-targeted animals. Despite conservation efforts such as the Serengeti De-Snaring Program, snares remain widespread, particularly in western, central, and northern regions, with origins often tracing back to adjacent villages. Challenges in addressing this issue include ineffective community-based conservation benefits, insufficient patrol efforts, increased campsite presence, and socio-economic factors favoring bush meat consumption. The study advocates for urgent, evidence-based interventions, including adaptive patrol strategies like the SMART approach, improved local community benefits, and sustainable livelihood programs tailored to specific communities. Long-term research is also emphasized to quantify snare-related deaths and injuries, assess snare distribution, and evaluate the effectiveness of current conservation measures.

Masolele, M. M. (2017). Snares and snaring in Serengeti National Park. Animal Conservation, 21(4), 273–274. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12383