MAJORITY WOMEN RANGER UNIT FROM SOUTH AFRICA WINS UN’S “THE CHAMPIONS OF THE EARTH” AWARD
These women are role models for all of us! Walking 20km a day to protect rhinos and other wildlife and making an immense impact. Follow over the jump for the details
“While their work contributes most toward ecosystem preservation and halting biodiversity loss, Goal 15 of the Sustainable Development Goals, it also exemplifies the action-driven solutions needed to achieve all of the SDGs. With every rhino saved the Black Mambas demonstrate that action on a local level is critical to achieving global sustainability and equity.”
The unit has ensured that not a single rhino has been poached on the land they protect in over ten months. In the neighbouring reserve, 23 rhinos have been killed over the same period.
Since being founded in 2013, the 26-member unit has also helped arrest six poachers, reduced snaring by 76 per cent, removed over 1,000 snares and put 5 poachers’ camps and 2 bush meat kitchens out of action.
The area that they protect, the Balule Private Game Reserve, is home to an abundance of wildlife – including not only rhino but leopards, lions, elephants, cheetahs and hippos. It is part of the Greater Kruger National Park, a network of over 2 million hectares of protected areas that is home to thousands of birds, impalas, giraffes, wildebeest, buffalos, antelopes, hyenas, crocodiles, fish and zebras.
Air Shepherd posted this to their FB page. Air Shepherd is moving forward with a spectacular project to use drones to keep watch over African wildlife, make sure to check them out. I donated money to their project.
Anyway, these women are making a huge difference and it's great to see them getting recognized for it. To be able to prevent a single rhino poaching in almost a year is nothing short of miraculous! Share the article around, it's nice to see uplifting environmental news every now and again.