Endangered Species Protection Project

In November 2025, a hyena snaring incident was reported within Manyoni Private Game Reserve. The animal was observed with a severe and deep neck injury consistent with a wire snare. Upon receipt of the report, the reserve response team mobilised immediately, recognising the urgency of the situation and the high risk posed to the animal if intervention was delayed.

Locating the injured hyena proved challenging, and the search continued for several hours. Despite difficult conditions and the onset of darkness, the team persisted with the operation into the late night hours. Eventually, the injured animal became visible. The hyena was identified as an adult male and displayed heightened nervousness, remaining wary of approaching vehicles and making the intervention technically demanding.

A wildlife veterinarian was able to successfully dart the hyena with a tranquiliser. During this process, thermal drones were deployed to monitor the animal’s movements after darting, ensuring that the team could track his direction of travel and reach him as soon as he became recumbent. This use of aerial thermal technology played a critical role in maintaining visual contact and enabling a swift and controlled response.

Once safely immobilised, the veterinary team and reserve staff removed the snare and treated the neck wound. The injury was thoroughly assessed and managed in the field. Following treatment, all parties involved were confident that the hyena would make a full recovery. The incident highlighted both the ongoing threat posed by illegal snaring and the importance of rapid response, persistence, skilled veterinary intervention, and the effective use of technology in wildlife protection operations within the reserve.