Deadly snares set by poachers continue to devastate wildlife in and around the Kruger National Park, with 135 buffaloes and six elephants falling victim in 2023. Dr. Dave Gaynor, a research fellow at University of Pretoria’s Mammal Research Institute, highlighted to Daily Maverick that he and his team are pioneering a groundbreaking solution to combat snaring, which he identifies as a primary cause of the decline in lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, and wild dogs. Gaynor emphasized the inadequacy of current snare detection methods, noting that only 1% to 5% of snares are found in well-managed reserves. To address this issue, Gaynor and his colleagues are developing an airborne detection system using synthetic aperture radar. This system promises finer spatial resolution and the capability to cover large areas efficiently, scanning 135km² per hour with high accuracy. Read more about this innovative research, and the broader snaring conversation, in the article published by Daily Maverick here.