INTERNATIONAL SILENCE OF THE SNARES

The report details a widespread snaring crisis in Southeast Asia, particularly in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Viet Nam, where an estimated 12.3 million snares exist in protected areas. These indiscriminate traps threaten over 700 mammal species and disrupt critical ecosystem services like seed dispersal and nutrient cycling. The document links snaring to increased zoonotic disease risk due to the handling of high-risk taxa and highlights the role of urban demand for wildlife meat. It argues that current legal frameworks are insufficient, often lacking clear definitions of snares or penalties for possession, and recommends strengthening legislation, increasing ranger densities, and partnering with indigenous peoples to combat the crisis.

• WWF estimates that there are over 12 million snares within the protected areas of Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Viet Nam, though the total number across Southeast Asia is likely much higher as these three countries represent only about 11% of the region's total protected area coverage.
• Snaring is an indiscriminate hunting method impacting more than 700 mammal species in Southeast Asia, including 80% of the region's land mammal families and 12 terrestrial mammal species classified as Endangered or Critically Endangered in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Viet Nam.
• The use of snares increases the risk of zoonotic disease spillover because it facilitates close human contact with high-risk taxa, particularly ungulates and carnivores. Wild pigs, masked palm civets, and Sunda pangolins are specifically identified as high-risk species often targeted by snares.
• Snaring-induced defaunation leads to 'empty forests' where the loss of large mammals disrupts essential ecosystem services, including seed dispersal, nutrient transport, and ecosystem engineering, which in turn can reduce forest carbon storage and increase extinction risks for plant species.
• Widespread snaring of tigers and their prey has led to the functional extinction of tigers in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Viet Nam, and continues to threaten remaining populations in other Southeast Asian countries.
• Current legal frameworks in Southeast Asia are largely inadequate; only Malaysia legally defines a 'snare', and only Malaysia and Thailand explicitly prohibit the possession of snares in protected areas.
• Ranger patrols alone are often insufficient to stop snaring due to low snare detectability, inadequate ranger numbers, and the low cost of replacing snares. Intelligence-led patrolling has been shown to increase detection rates by over 40% in some areas.
• While commercial trade is the primary driver of snaring in protected areas, some local communities use snares for crop guarding. However, evidence suggests that modern wire and cable snares are not essential for subsistence hunting, which often relies on traditional methods.
• There is a growing trend of foreign nationals entering Southeast Asian countries to hunt, driven by the depletion of game in their home countries. In some Malaysian operations, foreign nationals accounted for 40% to 60% of those arrested for poaching.

APA

Belecky, M., & T.N.E., G. (2020). INTERNATIONAL SILENCE OF THE SNARES. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/712/dndcz1okh_Southeast_Asia_Snaring_Crisis_WWF_9July2020_V2_LowRes.pdf

Chicago

Belecky, Mike, and Gray T.N.E. INTERNATIONAL SILENCE OF THE SNARES. WWF International, 2020. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/712/dndcz1okh_Southeast_Asia_Snaring_Crisis_WWF_9July2020_V2_LowRes.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Belecky |first1=Mike |last2=T.N.E. |first2=Gray |title=INTERNATIONAL SILENCE OF THE SNARES |publisher=WWF International |date=2020 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/712/dndcz1okh_Southeast_Asia_Snaring_Crisis_WWF_9July2020_V2_LowRes.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{belecky2020international, author = {Belecky, Mike and T.N.E., Gray}, title = {{INTERNATIONAL SILENCE OF THE SNARES}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2020}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/712/dndcz1okh_Southeast_Asia_Snaring_Crisis_WWF_9July2020_V2_LowRes.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }