The fight against poachers in Africa usually relies on men patrolling the savannah with firearms. Their aim is to scare the illegal hunters of wild, often endangered animals, and ultimately do everything possible to protect animals. Not all anti-poachers group operate in the same way, however.

A special unit of "Black Mambas" is in action in the Balule Nature Reserve within the Greater Kruger National Park in South Africa. It is made up exclusively of women. The female animal wardens undergo a special six-week training course to learn how to co-exist with the animals and to recognise the activities of poachers.

The "Black Mambas" unit was established in 2013. Its main objectives are to protect animals and raise awareness among children and adults about the conservation of species living in the Balule Nature Reserve. "Many people locally believe that these animals belong to white people," says Cutie Mhlongo, who has been active in the formation since 2014. "We want to change that mindset so that everyone in our community knows that this wildlife belongs to all of us."

It is not insignificant to employ only women: for many of them, employment opportunities in the local community are limited. Their main job is to care for the home and bear children, so they are very often completely economically dependent on their partners. Joining the "Black Mambas" significantly raises women's social prestige, as well as provides financial independence.

Each member of the "Black Mambas" group is equipped with handcuffs, pepper spray and radio for communication. The women are also tracked in real time so that they can get help quickly if their health or life is in danger. Their main task is to look out for and remove snares and traps for wild animals. For safety reasons, women do not participate in ambushes.

Many people mistakenly assume that the lack of guns is a real threat to the "Black Mambas". Cutie Mhlongo disagrees. "Our advantage is that they won't shoot us because they know we don't carry any guns," she says. The rangers are rarely seriously injured by poachers or wild animals.

The "Black Mambas" patrol the Balule nature reserve area, which covers 200 sq km, every day. An important part of their work is also checking that the fence around the reserve has not been breached by illegal trespassers.

The "Black Mambas" measure the success of their activities in an unusual way. Their group works well if attacks on rhinos occur as infrequently as possible. Every dead rhino is a failure. The women proudly report that the number of poaching attacks has decreased significantly since their unit formed.

Source: BBC