9. The problem of snares
Up at 5 so have time to write. Hyraxes in full swing, stars out. Some rain y’day but still unusually
dry for April. Everything around camp has memories for me — even things not there like the lack
of smell from the water drain by the tank of House 1 — it smelt bad for years, now it’s o.k.
The fridge is working! Thanks to Jeremy. (Hasn’t been working for a year or so). Cooker fine.
There’s a second car port here for vehicle no. 2 — a nice Toyota pickup, white like no. 1 but petrol
not diesel. Alas its battery is flat so won’t start. Yesterday we met with the TCs to discuss the
snaring problems...we decided there has to be a moratorium on the snare removal programme
(8 April 2000).At any one time around one-quarter of our Sonso chimpanzees are suffering from the
effects of having been caught in snares. They have missing hands, feet, or are crippled
and have to struggle to climb trees and feed themselves. We do not know if they are in
pain, and if they are, how much. We do know, however, that from the moment of that
encounter with a snare, their lives are depleted and their future to a greater or lesser
extent blighted.
At present, following two very comprehensive surveys, we know that there are some
584 chimpanzees (excluding dependant infants aged 4 years or less) in the Budongo
Forest (Plumptre et al. 2003: 24). We also know that of the 49 non-infant chimpanzees
in the Sonso community (again excluding dependant infants aged 4 years or less), the
following snare injuries have occurred:
- Tinka — both hands deformed
- Zefa — right hand damaged
- Bwoba — left hand damaged — recovered
- Gashom — right hand damaged — recovered
- Kalema — right hand severely damaged
- Kigere — right foot lost
- Zana — both hands severely damaged