The Cape Leopard Trust is proud to share this update on Snare Free – a multi-component collaborative initiative aimed at providing improved support to combat illegal snaring in the Western Cape. The need for and benefit of Snare Free was clearly demonstrated on Sunday 3 September, when the Snare Free hotline received a call requesting assistance for a caracal caught in a snare on a fence line in the Hemel-en-Aarde valley, Overberg.

Read the media release with full details HERE

CALLS TO ACTION

As the weather warms and people spend more time outdoors this summer, please be on the lookout for snares in the undergrowth and particularly along fence lines.

If you discover a live wild animal caught in a snare in the Western Cape, call the Snare Free hotline for assistance on 076 127 8485.

Keep your distance from the animal, keep noise to a minimum, and advise other people to refrain from entering the area. Have the following information available for the hotline operator:

• Location (GPS coordinates/pin preferable)
• Animal species/description (if known)
• Your contact number

If you discover empty snares or a dead animal caught in a snare, please take a photo and report it to the Cape Leopard Trust’s online Data Portal (app.capeleopard.org.za). You will need to provide the location and a photograph. Carefully remove and dispose of the snare/s responsibly to ensure it cannot be used again.

Visit snarefree.co.za for more information and resources.

View some updated images below – please read the media release at bit.ly/SnareFreeUpdate1 for context.