Last year, you helped us provide life-saving water for thousands of wild animals caught in a dreadful drought in Botswana.
Now, a new danger is threatening their lives: a recent surge in snaring. This horrifically cruel poaching method leads to brutal death for wildlife – all to feed the insatiable demand for animal parts.
Recently, a lioness succumbed to a snare that slowly strangled her to death.
Now, her orphaned cubs are in grave danger.
The local lion population is under threat because of a recent increase in poaching for their body parts, which are sold as ‘medicine’ or trinkets.
When a lion gets caught in a snare, the animal will often suffer weeks of agony before dying, like this poor animal.
The snared mother lioness was spotted by our partner, Camelthorn Farmstead, along the banks of the Boteti River in Botswana’s Makgadikgadi National Park.
Credit: Camelthorn Farmstead
This lioness had a snare wound tightly around her neck, causing severe injury and hampering her ability to hunt and eat.
We tried to find and de-snare the animal, but tragically she died, leaving two orphaned cubs behind.
A drone would have helped save the mother lion’s life. Now, it is urgently needed to protect her surviving cubs.
There is a growing demand for lion parts in “traditional Chinese medicine” (TCM) and local “muthi” (traditional African medicine).
There have been increasing instances of poached lion carcasses found with their body parts removed – a key indicator of the illegal trade.
The snared mother lion was in obvious pain as the wire cut into her neck. She ultimately succumbed to her wounds. Now, without our immediate help, her cubs face the same threat. Credit: Camelthorn Farmstead
Had the team had a drone, it would have been able to monitor the area for signs of illegal activity – for example, the laying of snares – before the animal could become another tragic statistic.
Instead, a lioness has been lost, and cubs have been left without their vital protector.
Drones have become critical to protecting wildlife in high-risk areas. They allow teams to locate injured animals quickly, identify poachers or hunters, and stop illegal activity fast.
As the dead mother’s cubs roam the wilderness, oblivious to the lethal threats all around them, they dearly need our protection. Friend, will you help them?
We have already raised almost half the funds needed for a drone. Please help us raise the outstanding $5,400 (£4,000) to purchase it.
The snare caused significant damage to the right side of her jaw through to the back of her neck. Can you imagine the incredible pain she suffered up to her death? Credit: Camelthorn Farmstead
Africa’s lions are officially listed as a vulnerable species, meaning that without dedicated protection, they risk becoming extinct in the wild.
The surviving cubs and their pride are crucial to the survival of the species in the Botswana.
Credit: Thomas Retterath/Shutterstock
Today, lions are extinct in 26 of 48 African countries. Roughly 3,000 of those who remain live in Botswana, including these cubs – and if we do not protect them, we could lose this population entirely.
Please, donate now. We are almost halfway to our goal – help us get all the way there.
