A Story on Snares

Posted in: Africam News

On the Hunt for an Injured Lioness

In the early hours of Saturday, 5 July, a lioness was spotted on the Africam livestream at Camelthorn Farmstead with a snare around her neck. This sighting sparked an immediate response from the community. The owners of Camelthorn were notified within minutes, and they quickly joined up with park rangers, Moela Safari Lodge, and the wildlife conservation team from WildCRU to begin tracking the lioness. The goal is clear – to find her, safely immobilize her, and remove the snare before it causes further injury or worse.

Despite the best efforts of everyone involved, the lioness has still not been found since the initial sighting, likely driven by instinct to hide due to the pain and stress caused by the snare. Search teams continue to patrol the area, working with urgency and care. In the meantime, the Africam team remains on high alert, monitoring the Camelthorn and Moela live streams closely.  If she is sighted on the camera again, it could provide the breakthrough needed to direct the team on the ground to her exact location. Though the lioness has yet to be found, we have not lost hope. Our commitment to her safety remains unwavering. Conservation is a collective effort, and moments like these highlight just how important it is that we remain connected, vigilant, and compassionate.

Snaring is an all-too-common threat to wildlife in many parts of Africa. Often intended for smaller animals, these traps do not discriminate, and larger animals such as lions can become accidental victims. If left untreated, a snare can lead to infection, starvation, or even a painful death. This situation is a powerful reminder of why real-time camera networks such as Africam are a critical piece in the conservation puzzle. The wildlife community, from professionals to everyday viewers, plays a vital role in detecting and responding to threats in real-time.

We will continue to share updates as they become available. In the meantime, we thank our viewers, partners, and conservation allies for their support and concern. Your eyes on the wild make a difference, and in this case, they may help save a life.

You can catch a quick glimpse of the snared lioness here (viewer discretion advised):