HILTON’S OFF-ROAD POACHING HEROES
Agroup of Hilton off-road bikers regularly risk being ensnared by hidden animal traps to help keep a handle on poaching in the World’s View Forest.
Hilton Off-road Club (Horc) are among the city’s group of anti-poaching warriors that have dedicated their off-roading passion to looking after the wildlife in and around Hilton’s forests.
Not knowing what kind of snare lurks around the corner, some of the bikers have even sustained injuries, been dragged off their bikes and had the wheels of their bikes damaged, yet they continue in their conservation efforts undeterred.
“It’s part of the sport,” said Hilton Off-road Club secretary Malcolm Harris.”everyone falls off their bike and gets hurt from time to time; our bikes are made to take a beating. It happens often. You just get up and keep riding.”
Horc has been removing snares and reporting crime to SAPS for at least 10 years.
“The newly-elected Horc executive recognised World’s View as a vulnerable area. With our
resources, as a community organisation, we have recognised our responsibility towards ensuring the safety of residents, prompting us to take a proactive approach to crime-fighting.”
Harris explained that increased reports of poaching by residents last year, led the committee to instruct club members to be on the lookout for snares and report suspicious behaviour.
“At our AGM in February, we
educated club members about environmental awareness and poaching and the importance of removing snares and reporting crime,” said Harris.
He said the club has noticed a general increase in loitering in World’s View over the past month, which has been communicated with residents.
Having more than 30 members passing through remote and inaccessible plantations every week,
Harris said Horc has a “finger on the pulse of the World’s View valley.”
However, Harris noted, there seems to be an increase in somewhat brazen activity. A club member spotted a group of teenage boys with a pack of hunting dogs coming out of the wattle plantations in Hilton. They had a skinned carcass draped over their shoulders.
Village Talk recently reported on the discovery of sophisticated snaring methods being found in Ferncliffe Forest.
Some of Horc’s recent successes include confronting illegal foresters cutting down trees in World’s View, rescuing a dog caught in a snare and assisting private security in the retrieval of a stolen vehicle.
Club members also aided in the search for stolen cattle, which sadly ended with their stumbling on a slaughter site.
William Gillitt, a professional off-road biker and Horc member, said he constantly comes across snares in the World’s View Forest.
“Most days, I normally find
[at least] one up in the plantations,” Gillit said. “There’s quite a lot in World’s View. [When we find them], we take the wire with us and throw it away. Also, once in Swartkop, in the natural forests, I managed to sit up there awhile and cut a snare off a dog.”
Gillitt said while riding, snares can sometimes “grab around your boot and drag you off your bike”, adding: “Often, in these areas, the snares are on the paths.”
Harris also confirmed that snares have wrapped around bikers’ legs and been caught up in bike wheels. “My friends often get caught in them,” Harris said.
He recalled an incident with another member who was riding near the Cedara tunnel about a year ago. As he was about to go downhill, his foot was hooked by a snare. The rider came off his bike and was hanging upside down. His riding partner was able to get the cable snare off his ankle with a pair of pliers.
In the future, Harris said the club plans to form a sub-committee dedicated to patrols and snare removal within the next four to six months, depending on available personnel and resources.