South Africa’s female park rangers | DW Documentary

Thanks to Leitah Mkhabela and her all-female gamekeeper crew, the Black Mambas, the number of poached rhinoceroses in South Africa’s Balule Reserve has been steadily decreasing.

Every year, hundreds of rhinoceroses are killed by poachers in South Africa’s National Parks. Many gamekeepers sell their knowledge on where to find the animals for high prices. The Black Mambas do not accept this and are stirring up this male-dominated field. Most of the women were unemployed before, now they’re earning money by protecting the animals. Economic deprivation is one major reason for poaching, and the Mambas frequently need to convince men in their own villages not to poach. Their goal: To leave their children with a country where rhinoceroses can still be seen in the wild. A report by Adrian Kriesch.