In the past few months, two sets of Wild Wonderful World travellers collared two hyena and saved one hyena from a double snare! Both collared hyenas had scars from a recent snare injury, confirming our objective to help prevent future snarings.

The hyena were darted and collared on a reserve bordering the Kruger National Park. The reserve has had severe snaring impact, due to its proximity to neighbouring community lands. Hyena are often trapped in poachers' snares, and are one of the primary species we get rescue calls for. They regularly move in and out of the reserve, and can be considered an indicator species for high snaring zones. This is why they are one of the preferred species to be collared with a GPS tracking collar.

Reserve managers use this tracking data to determine common entry and exit points through reserve fencing, as well as den sites and large feeding events (which may be poaching indications). This informs reserve management planning by helping to determine snaring hotspots where resources should be prioritised. The tracking algorithm also gives early warning pings and sends alerts to the reserve management via WhatsApp. The success has been proven for wild dog protection in the area, so these hyena collarings are part of the implementation of this system with a new species.

Collarings like these are one of our most important tools to proactively fight snaring, compared to only responding to emergency situations of already snared animals. While the cost of a collaring operation (R55k or USD3,100) is significantly more than a rescue operation of a snared animal, it brings immense value to prevent unfound animals from dying in poachers' snares.

A single collaring costs close to R55k or USD3,100. This includes a drop-off mechanism hyena collar (the collar will drop off on its own at the end of the battery life for easy retrieval), 24 months satellite data, and veterinary call out fees and drug costs. You can make a difference too! USD3,100 will protect a whole clan of hyena (which can have up to 100 individuals). Click here if you would like to donate to support predator monitoring work.

Stay tuned for an upcoming blogpost with more info about how a hyena collaring unfolds, and what our travellers thought about their unique experience!

Written by Evelyn Poole