African Wildlife Environment Issue 75 FINAL

CONSERVATION

WESSA Northern Areas Region combats poaching AWAR OF ATTRITION

Mark Gray

Poachers are placing snares in the mountains of the Magaliesberg Biosphere to trap antelope, to be sold or eaten for bushmeat, but frequently other animals such as leopard are part of the 'collateral damage'.

Michelle and Ashley Elliott with Jackson the Australian Cow Dog, Saskia Taylor and Leanne Ray, who led a group of WESSA members and volunteers on an Save the Magaliesberg Species (SMS) snare removal day.

T he Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA) regularly arranges volunteer working groups, to remove snares in the Magaliesberg in a war of attrition against poachers. The Save the Magaliesberg Species (SMS) is an ongoing project initiated by WESSA Northern Areas region. The most recent SMS snare-clearing day was in October 2019. WESSA members and volunteers scouted areas in the Biosphere for snares after a leopard, who is believed to have given birth, recently died while trapped in a wire-made snare. It is highly probable that this female leopard

had recently given birth, by the evidence of her denning behaviour found at the place where she died. However, there was no photographic evidence to support this theory. She was found in the same area where a leopard, Brandy, whowas initially relocated into the Biosphere, was snared about four years ago. Brandy was rescued and subsequently gave birth a few months later. The following year she had another litter of cubs, according to Leanne Ray, who led the snare clearing day. Leanne is writing a doctoral thesis on practical ways to ensure the survival of the Magaliesberg leopards

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