Anti-poaching teams working the bush around Phalaborwa in Limpopo have just cleared 76 large wire snares from a single three-day patrol — a sign that illegal trapping, quiet for months, is picking up again.
The Phalaborwa Natural Heritage Foundation (PHNF) ran the patrol from 18 to 20 September in thickly vegetated terrain where buffalo roam. The snares were recent and deliberately hidden: arranged in lines and clusters spread across a wide area, with long gaps between them and no obvious tracks nearby, they were built to be found by animals, not people.
Why the lull, and why the sudden return? PHNF points to this year's floods. Heavy rain produced dense vegetation plus abundant water and food, scattering wildlife and making their movements unpredictable — and making it hard for poachers to move through the bush or predict where animals would gather. Now that the vegetation is drying out, game is concentrating at remaining water and food sources again, and snaring activity has risen sharply.
The 76 traps were removed before they could injure or kill anything. Wire snaring is one of the cruelest and least selective forms of poaching: animals die slowly, and traps rarely discriminate between species.
Why it matters to travellers: Phalaborwa is the gateway town to the Kruger National Park, and the wildlife areas around it are part of the same ecosystem visitors come to see. Conservation organisations like PHNF rely on patrols, donations and sometimes volunteer support to keep these corridors safe. If you're planning a Kruger trip via Phalaborwa Gate, knowing that the region faces a seasonal poaching cycle — peaking as the bush dries in late winter and spring — is a good reminder to support lodges, reserves and foundations that fund anti-poaching work. Ethical safari operators in the area often contribute directly to these efforts, so where you spend your money has a real impact.
Getaway South Africa reported the story via the Letaba Herald.
