Addressing the Southeast Asian snaring crisis: Impact of 11 years of snare removal in a biodiversity hotspot

Abstract

Unsustainable snaring is causing biodiversity declines across tropical protected areas, resulting in species extinctions and jeopardizing the health of forest ecosystems. Here, we used 11 years of ranger-collected data to assess the impact of intensive snare removal on snaring levels in two protected areas in Viet Nam. Snare removal resulted in significant declines in snare occupancy (36.9, 95% Bayesian credible interval [4.6, 59.0] reduction in percent area occupied), but snaring levels nonetheless remained high (31.4, [23.6, 40.8] percent area occupied), and came with a substantial financial cost. Our results indicate that snare removal remains an important component of efforts to protect tropical protected areas but by itself is likely insufficient to address this threat. To stop snaring in protected areas, a multifaceted approach will be necessary that combines short-term reactive snare removal with long-term proactive programs that address the underlying drivers behind snaring.