Elephant Snare Removal - Niassa Special Reserve (NSR)

A sub-adult male elephant was successfully immobilised by the Mozambique Wildlife Alliance (MWA) veterinary team for the removal of a nylon snare from his right leg.

The elephant was darted, allowing the veterinary team to safely approach and assess the affected limb. The nylon snare was then removed, eliminating a potentially serious threat to the animal’s mobility and long-term health.

Snares can cause significant injuries as they tighten around an animal’s limb or body, potentially leading to deep wounds, infection, restricted movement and, in severe cases, loss of the affected limb or death.

Veterinary interventions such as this are therefore time-sensitive. Safely immobilising the animal allows the team to remove the foreign material, assess the extent of any injury and provide the necessary treatment before the condition progresses.

Following the intervention, the elephant recovered from the immobilisation and returned to the wild.

Cases like this remain an important part of Mozambique Wildlife Alliance (MWA)’s veterinary work: responding directly to threats facing individual animals and providing specialised wildlife veterinary support where it is needed.

This intervention was carried out in partnership with the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and the Niassa Carnivore Program (NCP).

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