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The Black Mambas
SEPTEMBER 2023 – 128,69€ TO SUPPORT THE BLACK MAMBAS RUNNING COSTS
These funds have been transferred to Transfrontier Africa through the Matching Campaign organised by TUSK so totals 160€
In order to protect elephants and wildlife in Africa these animals need anti-poaching protection to survive in the future. Wildlife rangers are vital to win the war against wildlife crime as Poaching Wildlife Trade is in the top 3 crimes globally along with human trafficking and drugs.
Anti-poaching units are the first line of defence providing boots on the ground and are responsible for the early detection of poaching insurgents through monitoring and surveillance during their daily patrols.
Early detection and rapid response is very important to prevent poachers of doing harm to elephants and wildlife.
As poaching brings social and moral decay, communities are concerned for their children’s sake as the false economy has brought loose morals and narcotics into their communities.
They also recognize that the safari economy creates jobs and that poaching threatens these opportunities.
In many rural indigenous communities in South-Africa women are living in very strong patriarchal structures, with no opportunites in life except being mothers, performing domestic chores and primary care givers.
Yet, women are resourceful, and knowledgeable and their skillset and knowledge about natural resources, their properties and cultural use are vast.
In many families women are the only bread winners since men are not engaged in family matters. Taking all this into consideration, we know that value systems are passed through generation to generation and women play a critical role in this process.
By founding The Black Mambas, a new strategy was implemented. This strategy targets multiple generations, ensuring the investment in wildlife security is successful.
Young women who are the primary care-givers in their communities are selected, trained and deployed.
This has built a different value system in the conservation arena and brought patriotism in their villages.
Lots of families are single parent families where at least 2 generations of women are raising the children. Its for women to pass life values and knowledge about the world to the next generation.
The opportunity of becoming an anti-poaching ranger transformes their lives. It gives them a new professional identity and the possibility of starting earning an income which is important in current circumstances since unemployment rate in SA is very high.
By supporting The Black Mambas you have the opportunity to help these young women
- prevent poaching by de-escalating conflicts and deterring poachers from the reserve
- preserve their natural heritage in the protected areas
- save their safari economy
- by not only paying a salary or training but you also supporting a whole family standing behind that woman that receives a salary and training.
- being equipped with knowledge and strong skills, in order to raise a totally different generation of people.
- meet other people working in conservation, so they can do something else than becoming a teacher or a miner.
The donations we receive through this Izindlovu fundraiser go for 100% to Transfrontier Africa NPC who is responsible for all daily operational expenses associated with the Black Mamba APU and costs such as salaries, training, uniforms, equipment, food, vehicles and fueling
The Black Mambas teams works to the concept of the “Broken Window” philosophy, striving to make the area of influence the most undesirable, most difficult and least profitable place to poach any species. With a passion for wildlife and rhino conservation, these women are the voice in the community through their conservation work.
They work on:
- collecting bushmeat snares
- monitoring camera traps
- keeping watch for evidence of illegal activity such as poisoning or bushmeat kitchens
- The Mambas offer environmental education on wildlife and conservation
- The Mambas are strong role models within their communities
Collecting bushmeat snares to protext small wildlife, lions, elephants and rhinos
Snares are normally used to catch small animals but they also hurt and catch baby elephants and rhinos. The mambas are the eyes and ears of the bush. They patrol the boundary of the reserve at dawn on foot and by vehicle at dusk, collecting snares and keeping watch for intruders. They don’t carry guns, just pepper spray, because their job is to gather intelligence and act as a long-term deterrent. This leaves the armed rangers free to concentrate on guarding the animals inside the reserve. If they detect an intruder, they call for armed back-up.
Pangolins
Since last year pangolins have unfortunately become the most trafficked animals in the world. These gentle creatures are considered to be a delicacy in some parts of Asia, and their scales are used for traditional medicines with the claim that scales help cure multiple health conditions.
The Black Mambas are boots on the ground in response to this crisis to make sure that this species will never go extinct. They work together with the highly qualified pangolin rescue specialist and the Limpopo Endangered Species Unit, Provet Animal Hospital, Umoya Khulula Wildlife Centre with the support of Rettet das Nashorn.
The Mambas offer environmental education on wildlife and conservation
Alongside their patrols, the Mambas run the Bush Babies Environmental Education Programme, which offers local schoolchildren weekly lessons about wildlife and conservation. They want to make poaching a thing of the past through education, inspiration and food security.
The Mambas are strong role models within their communities
When they come into the classroom, looking really confident, wearing smart uniforms and clean boots, the kids take notice. Many say they want to work in the bush like the Mambas. They also introduce them to other people working in conservation, such as horticulturalists. It gets them thinking about alternatives to being a teacher or a miner.
These women know it’s important to protect South Africa’s wildlife because it benefits their rural economy as the safari tourism industry creates jobs but even more importantly, they need to take the challenge to protect nature because nature protects them.
Moreover, with a passion for wildlife and rhino, lion, elephant and pangolin conservation, these women are the voice in the community through their conservation work.
Environmental Monitors want their communities to understand that the benefits are greater through rhino conservation rather than poaching, addressing the social and moral decay that is a product of the rhino poaching within their communities. They are concerned for their children’s sake as the false economy has brought loose morals and narcotics into their communities.
To deliver safety for both wildlife and communities they are required to stay physically and mentally in top condition by regular training.
Donate 10€
Because every donation, no matter how big or small, counts.
Donate 25€
Because every donation, no matter how big or small, counts.
Donate 50€
When donating 50€, you will receive a donation certificate from the Black Mambas unit in South-Africa.
Donate 100€
When donating 100€, you will receive a donation certificate from the Black Mambas unit in South-Africa.
Donate 250€
When donating 250€, you will receive a donation certificate from the Black Mambas unit in South-Africa.
Who you are donating to
Lightning donations: blackmambas@pay.lightningcheckout.eu
