Wire snares continue to take a heavy toll on wildlife in the forests surrounding Hwange National Park and the Victoria Falls wildlife corridors, despite intensified anti-poaching efforts. Figures from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) show that 1 760 wire snares were recovered in Hwange National Park and the Victoria Falls area in 2024. In the first ten months of 2025, a further 1 048 snares were removed, underscoring the persistence of illegal snaring in one of southern Africa’s most important conservation landscapes.
ZimParks says snaring is most common along park boundaries and buffer zones, particularly around Sinamatella, Hwange Main Camp, Matetsi and Robins Camp, as well as in nearby communities such as Dete and Mambanje. “Our teams remain actively deployed on the ground, conducting regular patrols and monitoring exercises to combat snaring and other illegal activities,” ZimParks said in a written response. “This consistent field presence has been instrumental in safeguarding wildlife populations.” However, conservation organisations operating in these areas say the rising number of recovered snares points to an escalating problem rather than success.
Painted Dog Conservation (PDC), which runs extensive anti-poaching patrols in and around Hwange, describes wire snares as one of the most indiscriminate threats to wildlife. “Poachers are quite skilled and know what they are targeting,” said David Kuvaoga, operations director at PDC. “But the snare itself is not selective.” “We have seen elephants trapped by the trunk, lions, buffalo, giraffe and painted dogs,” Kuvaoga said.
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“Once an animal is caught, it can suffer for hours or days. Many die without ever being seen.” PDC rangers removed more than 3 500 wire snares in 2024 across Hwange, the Gwayi Valley and surrounding forestry areas. “For every snare we remove, there are animals that have already been injured or killed,” he added.
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