07/16/2026
They call themselves “The Brave Ones,” and poachers know exactly why. 🐘
Since 2017, the Akashinga have patrolled Zimbabwe’s wilderness day and night, protecting elephants and rhinos from poachers in one of Africa’s most powerful conservation missions.
What makes them even more remarkable is who they are: an all-female anti-poaching unit made up of women from marginalized backgrounds, including single mothers, survivors of abuse, and former subsistence poachers.
Founded by former Australian special forces soldier Damien Mander, the program gives these women training, income, purpose, and power, while turning them into some of the fiercest defenders of wildlife.
Their work has helped lead to more than 1,100 arrests and has dramatically reduced poaching in the areas they protect.
But Akashinga is about more than saving animals. It is about proving that when women are empowered, they can protect communities, restore dignity, and defend nature with courage the world cannot ignore. 🐘💚
