July is a special month for the conservation world, as it is celebrating World Ranger Day on the 31st July. Rangers are the first line of defence for wildlife in the Greater Kruger area, and the world. ‘Essential Planetary Health Workers’ – a term recently introduced by the International Ranger Federation, is self-explanatory and captures the essence of what rangers do, and why their services are so crucial for the planet and its wildlife to flourish.
This year, the Black Mambas All-Women APU, celebrate a decade of working in the Greater Kruger area.
The Black Mambas is the world’s first officially registered and recognized all-women anti-poaching and wildlife security unit, that is run by Transfrontier Africa NPC. They started their very first operation in 2013 in the Olifants West Nature Reserve. Back then there were only six ladies, but over the years the unit has grown to 36 rangers and environmental educators.
In the first year of operation, the bushmeat poaching reduced by 89% in the sections of their deployment, and no rhino have been lost since then. Currently the Mambas patrol 20 000 ha of Olifants West Nature Reserve and sections of Blyde-Olifants Conservancy.
The unit is unarmed. Their weapons are visual policing and crime deterrence, as well as education and relationships with the communities they come from. The Black Mambas’ ethos, states that no matter how hard you are trying to save and protect wildlife, it is unethical to put the lives of animals above the lives of humans.
The Mambas say: “There are different approaches to conserving our natural heritage, and different strategies to secure protected areas, and the animals from poachers. It was our choice not to carry guns, and instead, we deter the poachers from the boundaries of the reserve, displacing criminal activities and working with youth and matriarchs of the communities. This is the choice we are proud of as a ranger unit. This is a multi-generational investment into humans through women. We think that long term it is going to pay off, and we will see it in the younger generation. Their view on wildlife is going to be different, they will start effortlessly seeing intrinsic value in it.”
Olifants West Nature Reserve benefits from the Mambas strategy – the unit itself is unarmed but there is an armed backup for cases when they are needed. They conduct daily foot and vehicle patrols, inspections, regular snare sweeps, roadblocks, nighttime observation, camera traps checks, disruption of the landscape and close monitoring of the rhinos in the reserve. They also offer environmental education for the locals both in schools and in the bush! These are the major tools in the toolbox of The Black Mambas APU.
There have been many achievements over the last decade, some of which are the destruction of 16 paocher camps, they have assisted in 48 arrests, not to mention the thousands of snares removed. They have also rescued and re-released 52 iconic species from poacher traps. Currently they teach more than 2 000 children in 10 rural schools, and they fed 90 impoverished families in three communities during the Covid-19 pandemic. They have gone on to distribute 1 500 sustainable wood-burners in three communities, built Bush Babies Environmental Education community centre in Maseke and contributed to global research on illegal wildlife crime.
In the past 10 years the Mambas had have won 10 internationally recognized awards, including Champion of the Earth by the United Nations, and they have been recognized as Highly Commended ranger teams by IUCN twice.
The Black Mambas are more than just an anti-poaching unit, it is a fundamental women empowerment program, where local women are trained and deployed as wildlife protectors. Apart from that, they are encouraged to consistently grow through various wildlife courses, life skills workshops and professional networking. After the Black Mambas launched, new all-women ranger units started to emerge in Africa; Akashingas in Zimbabwe, Team Lioness in Kenya, Kufadza in Zambia, and The Plains Foundation in Botswana. The Mambas have catalysed new policy, strategy and women empowerment plans globally. As a founding company, Transfrontier Africa NPC has received multiple invitations to present the model at international forums, including the Interpol Wildlife Crime Committee and the New York Explorers Club.
Transfrontier Africa NPC thanks all their colleagues, partners, supporters, and collaborators for making a huge difference to the conservation of species and uplifting the local communities in the Greater Kruger.
Happy 10 year anniversary to the Black Mambas APU and happy World Ranger Day to all the wonderful fellow rangers across southern Africa and the globe!
