African wild dogs are among the most endangered large carnivores, with snare injuries from bushmeat poaching causing severe welfare harms and population-level losses in key range areas.
Dogs caught in snares experience severe pain, panic, and injury during entanglement. Limb amputations following snare removal can be successful if performed promptly, and dogs can survive and hunt successfully on three legs within their pack. However, prolonged time in a snare before rescue causes tissue necrosis, septicaemia, and death. The social disruption caused by the death or injury of pack members — including breeding adults — can cause pack dissolution and pup mortality.