WINDHOEK, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Namibian government on Tuesday expressed concerns about the increasing use of wire snares for illegal hunting in the Etosha National Park, one of the flagship national parks in the country.
Romeo Muyunda, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism, said in a statement that the ministry is concerned over the increasing use of snares to illegally hunt and kill wild animals.
A recent three-day operation resulted in the confiscation of 62 active wire snares, Muyunda said, adding that they suspect the snares were set up by certain community members residing within the national park.
Since June, Muyunda said the ministry has undertaken a collaborative initiative involving the Namibian Police and the Namibian Defence Force, working in tandem to eradicate the threat of illegal snares in the Okaukuejo vicinity of the park by locating and removing these hazardous traps to safeguard its inhabitants.
The ministry is educating communities to remind them of the rules and regulations of the park as well as penalties for contravention as per the provisions of the law, Muyunda said.
"Snare removal exercise is ongoing in all our national parks; we want to call upon our tourists or visitors in the parks that may come across active wire snares, traps, or any other illegal activity to report to the ministry's officials for swift action," he added. ■
