Black Mambas are helping protect wildlife from poachers

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I read an interesting article recently about a group in South Africa called the Black Mambas. This is an all-female anti-poaching group that has been in operation since 2013. Operating in Olifants West in Greater Kruger National Park, their main duty is to protect wild animals from poachers. They do this in several ways: by patrolling the borders and repairing fences; by removing snares and traps, and by educating the people in their communities. The women are highly skilled in survival techniques; don’t carry guns and wear camouflage gear to allow them to blend into the landscape. From time to time, they also search every car that enters or leaves the reserve, always on the lookout for illegal firearms and/or illegal removal of rhino horn, elephant ivory or bush meats. When the Black Mambas first commenced their patrols, it wasn’t unusual for them to remove between 100 to 200 snares a day. Now, the numbers are much less. School children are taught to be proud of their iconic animals. Any interventions that help stop poaching are to be commended. Endangered black and white rhinos are particularly vulnerable to poachers, with 195 rhinos dying in 2022. The photo is mine. Unfortunately, this rhino is in a zoo but at least it won’t be killed for its horn.