Nov 08, 2020, 23:25 pm
(This post was last modified: Nov 09, 2020, 01:10 am by Resurgence. Edited 3 times in total.)
Petronella Chigumbura with Akashinga Rangers.
![[Image: 1.jpg]](https://i.ibb.co/1JdSYtY/1.jpg)
The horrors of poaching plague many countries around the world. Hunters illegally kill game for profit. Efforts to stop them are endless. The International Anti-Poaching Foundation (IAPF) is part of these efforts, and in 2017, they founded a particular group in Zimbabwe to help protect elephants: the Akashinga. The all-female team of rangers has worked to keep the tens of thousands elephants in Zimbabwe safe—as well as lions and rhinos. Their work has contributed to an 80% reduction in elephant poaching in the Lower Zambezi Valley. And National Geographic has just put the spotlight on the group in a new short documentary called Akashinga: The Brave Ones.
Akashinga translates to “brave ones” in the local dialect, and they are indeed brave ones to stand against violent poachers. Former Australian special forces soldier and anti-poaching leader Damien Mander founded the team. And initially, it started with 16 women. Their numbers have grown since then. The Akashinga is comprised of highly trained exceptional warriors. National Geographic’s short, released on World Elephant Day, showcases how the group operates, their incredible passion and devotion, and their military-like training. As the documentary begins, 500 recruits for the Akashinga arrive. Around eighty of them will graduate. The process is intense. And it has to be because of the armed and dangerous poachers they will inevitably encounter.
https://nerdist.com/article/akashinga-al...-zimbabwe/
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Short Documentary:
Akashinga: The Brave Ones
With many of Africa’s key species, including elephants, heading toward extinction, Akashinga is a radical, new and highly effective weapon against poaching. The women-only team of rangers is revolutionizing the way animals are protected, communities are empowered — and its members’ own lives are being transformed. Mander’s innovative approach to conservation calls for community buy-in rather than full-on armed assault against poachers: If a community understands the economic benefits of preserving animals, then it will eliminate poaching without an armed struggle.
Produced by National Geographic in 2020.
The horrors of poaching plague many countries around the world. Hunters illegally kill game for profit. Efforts to stop them are endless. The International Anti-Poaching Foundation (IAPF) is part of these efforts, and in 2017, they founded a particular group in Zimbabwe to help protect elephants: the Akashinga. The all-female team of rangers has worked to keep the tens of thousands elephants in Zimbabwe safe—as well as lions and rhinos. Their work has contributed to an 80% reduction in elephant poaching in the Lower Zambezi Valley. And National Geographic has just put the spotlight on the group in a new short documentary called Akashinga: The Brave Ones.
Akashinga translates to “brave ones” in the local dialect, and they are indeed brave ones to stand against violent poachers. Former Australian special forces soldier and anti-poaching leader Damien Mander founded the team. And initially, it started with 16 women. Their numbers have grown since then. The Akashinga is comprised of highly trained exceptional warriors. National Geographic’s short, released on World Elephant Day, showcases how the group operates, their incredible passion and devotion, and their military-like training. As the documentary begins, 500 recruits for the Akashinga arrive. Around eighty of them will graduate. The process is intense. And it has to be because of the armed and dangerous poachers they will inevitably encounter.
https://nerdist.com/article/akashinga-al...-zimbabwe/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Short Documentary:
Akashinga: The Brave Ones
With many of Africa’s key species, including elephants, heading toward extinction, Akashinga is a radical, new and highly effective weapon against poaching. The women-only team of rangers is revolutionizing the way animals are protected, communities are empowered — and its members’ own lives are being transformed. Mander’s innovative approach to conservation calls for community buy-in rather than full-on armed assault against poachers: If a community understands the economic benefits of preserving animals, then it will eliminate poaching without an armed struggle.
Produced by National Geographic in 2020.