With snaring related incidents of wildlife on the rise, Small Cat Advocacy & Research (SCAR) in collaboration with Leopocon and the Parrotfish Collective (PFC), developed and conducted a targeted awareness campaign to help the general public see the linkages between consuming bush meat and the snaring of biodiversity.

With the demand for bush meat on the rise (In 2020, government authorities seized 103.5 KGs of bush meat during raids), especially amongst urban populations, this 16-month trilingual campaign helped consumers better understand how their actions have negative consequences on biodiversity populations around the island.

For the observed period of 15 months starting (1st Jan 2020 to 31st March 2021) 15 incidents of leopards being poached were recorded to the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC). Another distressing statistic recorded by the Wilderness & Wildlife Conservation Trust (WWCT) is that approximately 47 leopards have been caught in wire snares in the past decade, with around 90% of these snared leopards dying.

With snares being set mainly to fuel the growing demand of the bush meat industry, it is vital that the root cause of the problem is addressed; the consumption of bush meat.

SCAR along with their collaborators – Leopocon and the Parrotfish Collective conducted a 16-month campaign presented scientific data on the issue in accessible and engaging formats. The trilingual awareness campaign had a specific allowance for boosting posts on social media channels prior to long holiday periods, when it is believed that there is a spike in consumption patterns.

Await more project related results.