De-Snaring Report for August 2018

Published on the 1st of September, 2018

Following on from the increase in illegal activities in July, August was again a busy month for the teams. In total 26 arrests were made including an ivory poacher, 9 bushmeat poachers (6 of whom were arrested in a gang by the Ithumba team), 5 charcoal burners, 1 logger and 19 livestock herders

The ivory poacher was arrested during an aerial and ground search, in which the teams all coordinated successfully to ensure the offender was apprehended. The bushmeat gang arrested by the Ithumba team during a night ambush, was apprehended with 32kgs of buffalo meat as well as assorted poaching tools, snares and non-poisonous arrows.


15 charcoal kilns were also destroyed throughout the TCA during August, as well as a number of illegal camps and hideouts used by poachers. The Kenze team, which extended their patrol area to cover the Chyulu team whilst away, were deployed to a 3-day elephant rescue where an adult elephant had become badly stuck in a muddy watering hole. After days of fighting to free this elephant, it was eventually freed but sadly having spent so long in the mud and after so much stress, it soon after died, much to the sadness of all the teams involved in trying to save its life.


3 elephant treatments took place during the month mostly due to poisoned arrow wounds. The DSWT/KWS Tsavo Vet Unit was deployed to all cases ably supported by the ground and air units. Similarly, the air and ground teams worked together during several cases to remove 33 problem elephants from community areas which had been causing conflict.