Buy a gift that helps both people and wildlife
Unique products made from snare wire
Perth Zoo has teamed up with Painted Dog Conservation Inc (PDC Inc) to provide a beautiful range of very affordable jewellery and artwork made from snare wire – the perfect, conservation-conscious gifts that help save African wildlife.
The pieces are made from real snare wire collected from the African environment by anti-poaching units. The illegal snare wire traps are cheap and easy to make and are set in large numbers in national parks and surrounding areas to catch animals for bush meat.
While the main targets of the snares are herbivores such as antelope, other animals of varying sizes – from Painted Dogs to elephant – are also trapped. The snares usually tighten around their neck or legs when they run through them and are nearly impossible to remove without human assistance. The snares lead to horrific injuries or death.
Snares in their thousands are collected each year but without a steady income and food in their stomachs, local people continue to set snares to trap wildlife. That’s why Iganyana Arts was established.
Iganyana Arts is situated in the town of Dete, on the border of Hwange National Park. Conceived in 2003, artisans, both adults and youth, are provided with materials and equipment, a place to work and training where needed.
They are paid per piece for products that pass quality control inspection. In the creative growth process, many are now developing their own unique signature style as well as their own product designs.
Perth Zoo has purchased SnareWare products directly from Iganyana to sell in Zoonique, the Perth Zoo Shop. Every item you buy assists the sustainability of the local community. Zoonique is at the entrance of the Zoo so you don’t even have to be on a Zoo visit to shop there.
The lion survived the snare but many aren’t so lucky.
Photos courtesy of PDC Inc.
Want to do more?
Painted Dog Conservation Inc is a non-profit organisation, established to provide support for projects in Africa that are actively conserving the endangered Africa Painted Dog. Originally focused on a Painted Dog Research Project in Zimbabwe, they now also support projects in Zambia and Namibia.
To find out more or become a member visit their website at www.painteddogconservation.iinet.net.au.
