[imagesource: YouTube / Carte Blanche]

When we think of poaching in South Africa, it’s the plight of larger animals like rhinos and elephants that come to mind.

Closer to home in the Cape, abalone (or perlemoen) poaching remains both a lucrative trade for its biggest players and a huge threat to the survival of the local population.

What you may not know is that in and around the Cape peninsula, poachers actively target smaller wild animals through the use of snares.

These animals are often used in traditional medicine or sold as bushmeat.

Recently, Carte Blanche was on the case:

Carte Blanche investigates rising tensions between poachers, conservationists, and nature-loving residents in post-pandemic Cape Town as we set out with rangers.

Scattered across SANParks Table Mountain National Park, we uncover these rudimentary devices, shaped into loops, that have proliferated in recent years. Small animals like mongoose, guinea fowl, Cape grysbok, and caracal come forage surprisingly close to suburban Cape Town, bringing poaching that much closer to home.

Caracal sightings in Cape Town are becoming increasingly common, with the Urban Caracal Project doing stellar work to both protect and promote the survival of these beautiful cats.

Prepare yourself for some disturbing visuals of animals in distress:

[source:carteblanche]