Target: Prof. Erustus Kanga, Director General, Kenya Wildlife Service
Goal: Find and apprehend whoever planted high-tension wire snares along a wildlife corridor, leaving a zebra with deep, infected wounds and placing other animals at deadly risk.
One steel loop tightened around a zebra’s leg each time the frightened animal struggled to break free. A community wildlife scout discovered the plains zebra trapped along a migration corridor near Nairobi. The high-tension steel snare had sliced deeply into the animal’s lower foreleg, producing infected lacerations so serious that the zebra could no longer keep pace with its herd. Wildlife veterinarians immobilized the injured animal, removed the wire, and administered long-acting antibiotics.
What rangers found nearby transformed an individual rescue into evidence of a potentially wider poaching operation. Field teams discovered six additional wire snares concealed along the same game trail. Authorities believe the traps were positioned within the previous 24 hours as part of an illegal bushmeat operation. Dense vegetation has complicated the search, and nobody has yet been identified as responsible. KWS officers are expanding patrols and deploying concealed trail cameras while community leaders seek information concerning suspicious wire possession or unauthorized wild game sales.
A snare cannot distinguish its intended victim. Any animal crossing that trail could have been trapped, mutilated, or killed. The discovery of seven snares warrants sustained investigation beyond their removal. Once identified, whoever planted them must be prosecuted under Kenya’s wildlife protection laws if sufficient evidence exists.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Director General Kanga,
The injuries suffered by a zebra trapped by a steel cable demonstrate the devastating consequences of illegal wire trapping. The animal was discovered struggling against a steel snare that had cut deeply into its leg, leaving infected wounds and preventing it from remaining with its herd.
Six additional snares were recovered along the same trail, suggesting that the zebra’s injuries may not represent an isolated incident. Expanded patrols, trail cameras, community intelligence, and investigations into illegal bushmeat sales could help identify those responsible.
Please ensure that KWS continues pursuing every credible lead. Once investigators obtain sufficient evidence, those responsible should be apprehended and referred for prosecution under all applicable Kenyan laws. Wildlife corridors must not become concealed fields of wire capable of inflicting prolonged suffering.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Gusjer
