Snares are one of the world’s oldest and cruelest devices for killing animals. Usually, the animal dies slowly, after days or weeks of suffering. Recently, ‘Najam’, a magnificent two-year-old lioness in Zimbabwe, was spotted with a steel snare cutting through her mouth and tearing through her cheeks. The slipknot was lodged in her throat, making it impossible for her to eat.

Poaching in Zimbabwe is having a CATASTROPHIC EFFECT on both small and large species, and shockingly, lions are no exception!

We could really use your help to save vulnerable wildlife.

When our partner, the Bumi Hills Anti-Poaching Unit (BHAPU), realized the seriousness of the problem, it immediately sent a highly skilled team to help Najam. She was carefully tranquilized, and the team worked swiftly to remove the snare and provide critical care to her gaping wounds. The wire had torn its way into her flesh, and she had several broken teeth from her desperate and repeated attempts to chew through it. She also had deep injuries to her front paw, consistent with snaring.

BHAPU estimates Najam was caught in this death trap for at least four days. They knew if they had not acted immediately, she would have died an excruciating death.

“The unimaginable suffering this young lioness had to endure is beyond comprehension. This is cruelty in its harshest form.” – BHAPU Base Manager, Catherine Norton.

Najam is safely back with her pride and her mother, ‘Rakesh’ (meaning “Moon”), and making a slow recovery.

But her case highlights the dire need for BHAPU to have more feet on the ground patrolling for deadly snares.

The illegal snaring of vulnerable wildlife in Zimbabwe has increased by 25% since the start of 2022, according to BHAPU. The increase in snaring is likely a result of the country’s shattered economy, rising unemployment levels and people having no food to eat.

With its present resources, BHAPU finds and removes some 40 snares a month, and on average, encounters two severe snare cases like Najam’s. With more patrols, they can increase the protection of animals significantly, but that costs money.

For every $15,000 (£13,000) we raise, we can hire, train and equip one additional scout per year.

Even one scout will make a difference, allowing BHAPU to cover additional ground and find up to 10% more snares – critical to the continued survival of animals like Najam– and the prevention of needless suffering.

With your support, we will be there to help snared animals. For those caught in snares, this means a slow, agonizing and painful death sentence. No animal deserves to suffer in such a horrible way. We need your help to ensure the BHAPU team has more feet on the ground to help keep the wildlife of Zimbabwe safe.

Please donate generously to ASI right now so we can continue to protect the irreplaceable wildlife of the Lake Kariba region.