Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit March 2026 Update The last month or so has seen a definite shift in the seasons. Whilst there was still some decent storms in March, the bush has started to change. Flashes of orange, amber and brown now grace the landscape as the vegetation begins its annual die off for the season. This has improved visibility and made patrolling a little easier. Sadly, this also aids those who wish to cause our animals harm. Whilst we continue to enjoy a relatively low pressure period, the threat is ever present, and we have seen an increase in poaching activity in March. One thing we are very proud of is the work we have put in to better understanding our core operational area. Not a lot is missed by the team, and we are confident that at least 90% of poacher activity is identified, during the actual act, or within 24 hours of it happening. This is largely due to our expansion of surveillence equipment with a rapid response team and a focused patrol plan and effort. A massive area of growth for us is our intimate understanding of our key operational area. In comparison to previous years, we continue to be blessed with relatively low poaching pressure. Testiment to the teams efforts and perseverance, and ultimately striving towards the goal of mitigating the poaching threat to our beloved Victoria Falls. STATISTICS March represents the quietest month in several years in terms of snares recovered. Compared to the 37 in the same month last year. Having said that, the poaching method has changed quite a bit over the period, largely due to the pressure applied by our team. Poachers have shifted towards carrying the snares with them, rather than leave them hidden in the bush. The previous successes we have had ambushing these snares has forced this change. Whilst this does make it a little harder to detect poaching attempts, it does put the poacher at risk of being caught in possession, which in itself is a crime. Sadly, 4 of the 6 snares recovered were for warthog, an animal this under constant threat due to its habits of sleeping in burrows. We are aware of this, and much of our focused efforts aim to mitigate this. This is our favourite statistic, primarily because it is the best independent “check” we have of our work. Inevitably, a percentage of animals trapped by snares will break free from the tree, but run away with a tight piece of wire around them. In our operational area, and the method used by the poachers, this statistic can be has high as 30-40%. Historically, the vast majority of animals in need of rescue have been identified by the general public of Vic Falls and reported in. The fact that these reports have not been coming in is a good reflection of the poaching threat. With zero animals rescued from snares for several months now, logic would suggest that the threat is low. Carcasses Discovered: 5 Cause of Death:          1 warthog euthanized due to probable electrocution whilst foraging 2 impalas, 1 young kudu and 1 white tailed mongoose. All victims of road traffic accidents. A second month in a row where we did not discover any animal loss due to poaching. However, its been a bad period of road traffic accidents. The Kazangula road, and the Park Way road past Elephant Hills continue to be a major threat to our animals. We reacted to no less than 4 incidents this month alone. We know of another 2 outside of Victoria Falls. Our work seeks to protect animals, which ultimately leads to an increase in their numbers. This combined with a rapidly growing human population will see more and more incidents. Our desperate appeal is for caution and respect when driving through our wild areas. Not only is the cost of a collision expensive, but life threatening to the animal and the person. In a bizzare situation, we responded to a warthog that was not in a good way. Alive, but pretty immobile with a wound on its back. Unfortuantely, the animal was humanely euthanized due to its condition. Close inspection suggested the wound was a burn mark, and the probable cause was coming into contact with a live wire somewhere within the urban area. This is the second electrocution in 2 months. There has been an uptick of the illegal harvesting of live trees within our landscape. In most cases, this timber is destined for the curio market trade, where specific hardwoods are targeted. This is massively distructive to the natural environment, destroying a live tree that has taken decades to grow, and contributing significantly to the habitat around us. The team also had a good win with the arrest of some quarry poachers. Illegally digging up the groud to harvest the stone used for building. Again, the long term implications on the ecosystem are vast. This “pits” become death traps for small animals, and the resultant degredation causes erosion. The team reacted to 2 separate pieces of information regarding the illegal trade in bush meat. One implied that the poachers were returning from the field. A house was identified and the team conducted a stakeout. Whilst the occupants did indeed pitch up. They were empty handed, and further information suggests that their hunt was not successful. In the second instance. Intelligence led us to a vehicle that is suspected of ferrying meat to various outlets. This vehicle has been under surveillance for a couple of weeks now, and whilst its movements are consistent with the information, there has been no indication of meat. In both cases, no arrest was actioned so as to maintain the element of surprise and ensure that the culprits are intercepted red handed, with evidnece that will strengthen a conviction. However, valuable information has gained adding new “people of interest” to our list and furthering our understanding of the market. HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH The effectiveness