The poverty faced by many Zimbabweans under the current  situation has brought about a massive increase in bush meat poaching – by rifle, dogs or wire snares. The wire snare has proved the deadliest – a silent killer that can remain undetected for long periods  until some unfortunate animal stumbles into it, and faces a slow and agonising death. The snare is non selective for species, sex or age, and often the animals life is totally wasted as the poacher does not come back to check all his snares, and the carcass will rot! DART has an active program to try and reduce this menace of wire snares, by conducting regular sweeps for snares by volunteers in areas where  the poachers are known to frequent and set snares. Every snare removed can save a life!! Volunteers are trained what to look for before embarking in extended line through areas where snaring is thought to be active.

DART also reacts to animals already caught up in these cruel  traps, by freeing them whenever possible from their torment by removing the embedded snare. This may be possible by pulling the animal down if it is still restrained by the snare, and carefully removing the snare, but in cases where the snare has broken off and the animal now carries it around as it bites deeper and deeper, the experienced DART guide will dart the suffering animal with an immobilising drug, allowing the animal to have the snare removed and the wound treated, before resuscitating the poor animal and setting it free! Poaching of rhino is a major problem , with poachers chasing after them with weapons. DART does not get involved here, leaving the National Parks game scouts to do their duty, but the mere presence of DART operatives on the ground during their rhino monitoring work allows for greater coverage and a better chance of picking up the presence of poachers in an area, thus complimenting the work of the Parks patrols (note – DART always has an armed Parks game scout along when on rhino audit work)