More than 10,000 snares were recorded in Nyungwe National Park last year, Protais Niyigaba, the park manager, told The New Times.
Nyungwe is one of the oldest tropical rainforests in Africa which Rwanda seeks to list on UNESCO World Heritage site.
"The most targeted animals include yellow-backed duikers, forest porcupines, and golden cats among others. The poaching is caused by some residents neighboring the forest who are still expecting to rely on meat from animal species in the forest. This is one of the challenges we are striving to address," he said.
L'Hoest's monkey (locally known as Icyondi), or mountain monkey is also among the hunted animals.
In 2021, three individuals were arrested for having organised a hunt and killed two monkeys in Nyungwe National Park.
"There is a need for supporting farmers' income generating activities as an alternative source of income to improve their livelihoods instead of spending a week hunting in Nyungwe," he noted.
Among the initiatives, he said, includes employing the community, especially youth as guides in Nyungwe Park to curb unemployment and threats to animal species in the park.
In 2020, the Government entered a 20-year agreement with African Parks to manage and conserve Nyungwe National Park.
"They have been gathered in cooperatives. In order to reduce poaching cases, we have started to work with the community neighbouring the forest.
Currently, there are 92 people who were recently given jobs to track poachers in partnership last year in February. That is how over 10,000 snares were caught last year. This means that having 10,000 traps can lead to 10,000 deaths of animals," Niyigaba said.
He said that the number reduced from 13,000 snares recorded in the previous year.
"The forest is currently not fenced and there are households close to it and therefore by increasing trackers of poachers, the poaching cases will decrease in the near future," he said adding that over 50 poachers were arrested in 2022.
Nyungwe forest accommodates 1, 068 flowering species, 322 bird species, over 85 mammal species including 13 species of primates, over 32 amphibian species and 38 reptile species.
Niyigaba said that in 2022, they spent $4.6 million to manage the park and added that there are currently 80 ground rangers, 18 security guards, 35 posts' aids and 33 primates' trackers.
"Main threats are snaring, illegal mining, arson, illegal tree and bamboo cutting, road -killing and littering along the main tarmac road," he said.
He further said that this year, there is a plan to increase ranger patrol coverage by deploying 100 rangers, eco-rangers (10 days of patrols every month), collaboration with law enforcement partners, and by carrying over 30 hours of aerial patrols.
He added that in collaboration with security organs, the park will improve patrol coverage by carrying out patrols in areas threatened by illegal mining and flying 30 hours to timely identify threatened areas.
Status of threats in other parks
The cases of illegal logging and poaching are still threats to the park despite drastic reduction, Prosperi Uwingeri, the Chief Park Warden of Volcanoes National Park recently told The New Times.
By 2022, there was a 70 percent reduction in poaching and illegal logging cases in Volcano national park.
According to a recent study, the main causes of poaching include ignorance, poverty, culture, corruption, population growth and commercial purposes.
The study shows that thanks to strategies in fighting poaching, the annual poaching cases have decreased from 1,000 in 2018 to 600 snares in 2020.
Recent statistics indicate that about 150 people were arrested between August 2020 and September 2022 for illegal activities threatening Gishwati-Mukura National Park.
According to the report from the park management, 42 people were arrested for illegal mining activities in the park, 26 were arrested for firewood collection, 28 for grass/forage cutting while 22 were arrested for trespassing in the park.
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At least 12 people were arrested for livestock farming in the park, 10 were apprehended over tree cutting for non-timber forest products and one for cutting Pinus trees.
The report also shows that 66 people were fined with Rwf1.4 million while 53 people were arrested and only warned and sensitised without fines.
Over 24 cases were submitted to police and Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB).
Poaching in Akagera National park has dramatically decreased, attributed largely to the introduction of a canine unit in 2015 and because communities receive tangible benefits from the park through employment and revenue sharing scheme.
In 2013, nearly 2,000 snares were removed from inside the park, dropping to just 25 in 2019.
Engaging with ex-poachers has helped to influence others to stop poaching in the park according to the park managers.
