Download pdf - Helping the Unintended Victims of Bushmeat Snares … · Rescuing chimpanzees from bushmeat hunters’ snares in Uganda In Uganda, although it is illegal, hunters set forest snares

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Helping the unintended victims of snares

Rescuingchimpanzeesfrombushmeathunters’snaresinUganda

InUganda,althoughitisillegal,hunterssetforestsnarestotrapwildlifeforso-called‘bushmeat’.Thepoachersareusuallyhopingtocatchanimalssuchasantelopesandwildpigs,butsadlychimpanzeesalsobecomevictimsoftheillegaltraps.Thesnaresareusuallymadefromstrongwireandaschimpanzeeswalkontheforestfloor,theirhandsandfeetbecometrapped.Whenthetrappedanimalstrugglestoescape,thesnaretightensfurtherandcausesgreaterinjuryandsuffering.

Thevictimsareoftenjuvenilefemales.MuguMoja(‘OneLeg’inSwahili)wasjustsuchacase.TheJaneGoodallInstituteUgandawascalledbylocalvillagerswhohadseenhercaughtbytheleginametaltrap.Herleghadbeencrushedbythetrapwhichweighed14kg–twothirdsofherownbodyweight-andshecouldnotgetfree.Althoughitwouldbeariskyprocedure,MuguMoja’slifewasalreadyindangerandsoitwasdecidedtoremovethetrapandsendhertotheWildlifeEducationCentreatEntebbewhereherleghadwassafelyamputated.Onceshehadrecovered,shewasimmediatelyreturnedtotheforestwhereshewasabletojoinhersmallsocialgroup.Thoughrestrictedbyherinjury,shecouldclimbanddisappearedstraightintothetrees.Asayoungfemale,readytoreproduce,shewouldhavebeenasorrylossforhercommunitywithoutJGI’sintervention.

InUgandaitisestimatedthat25%ofchimpanzeesaresufferingfrominjuriesinflictedbyhunters’snares.Injuredchimpanzeeslosedexterityandcontrolwhenprocessingimportantfoodssuchasfigs.Andwhilechimpswithinjuriesfortunatelyoftenshowremarkableadaptation,theirsocialbehaviorisaffectedandtheirinabilitytofullycompeteforfoodmayaffecttheirlong-termsurvival.Inseverecases,theinjurieschimpanzeessustainfromtrapsandsnaresaresoseveretheyleaddirectlytodeath.

Aswellasrescuingtrappedchimpanzees-sofarover40chimpanzeeshavebeensavedfromsnaresandsnare-relatedinjuries-JGIremovessnaresfromtheforest,forexampleworkingwiththesnareremovalteaminKibaleNationalPark.Theteam,whoareallre-trainedprevioushunters,spenddaysintheforest,followinghunters.Theyfindandremovethesnaresthatareset,deterringandarrestingpoachers.Itisadangerousundertaking,butalsoavitalonetoprotectUganda’swildchimpanzees.OvertwodecadesJGIhassupportedtheremovalofmorethan10,000snaresin4forests.

Removing snares addresses the immediate threat to chimpanzees, but for the long term wemustchangeattitudesandpracticestostop illegalhunting.Thereforethesnareremovalteamalso helps to teach local communities about chimpanzees, bushmeat, human-wildlife conflict,thelocalecosystem,andtheimportanceofconservation.

Watchvideos:

MuguMoja’sstory–https://yhoo.it/2FdNNWt

Thesnareremovalteam-https://yhoo.it/2DcdNPa

• Greatapesareprotectedbylaw,becausetheirnumbersarerapidlydecliningandtheirsurvivalisunderthreat.Ugandaisnowestimatedtohaveonlyaround5000EasternChimpanzeesand400MountainGorillas.

• Chimpanzeesareourclosestcousins.Indiscriminatewildlifetrappingcausesimmensesuffering to these intelligent beings,who desperately attemptways to escape theirentrapment.

• The JaneGoodall Institute’s strategy inUganda is to ensure long term conservationandprotectionofchimpanzeesthroughempoweringandenhancingthenationalandlocalinstitutions(governmentagencies,localgovernmentandlocalcommunities)intobeing effective custodians of this endangered ape. This is achieved through imple-mentinganarrayofactivities that focuson threemajorareas: conservationeduca-tion,habitatprotectionandchimpanzeewelfare.Thefirsttwoareasnotonlyconservechimpanzeesbutmanyotherspeciesaswell.