The Black Mambas Anti-Poaching Unit (NGO)
COACHING IN COMBAT
The Black Mamba APU was founded in 2012 by Transfrontier Africa and created to protect the Olifants West Region of Balule Nature Reserve in South Africa. It has since expanded to cover the entire Balule area of 400km².
The Black Mambas are the world’s first female anti-poaching unit (APU). They work 24/7, 365 days a year to protect the wildlife of the Greater Kruger area, South Africa.
The Black Mambas APU are no ’normal’ anti-poaching unit. As well as patrolling, doing vehicle checks and anti-poaching snare sweeps across the landscape, they also run the ‘Bush Babies’ programme that supports over 1200 children around the Nature Reserve. Helping teach the children about nature, how to support their ecosystem, grow healthy food, and how to live side by side with the wildlife. This has been a game changer in the anti-poaching arena as this is helping to prevent the move towards crime and the need to poach, but ensuring the local communities have access to good education and therefore more options for the future.
Read About the Mambas
The British Women Behind the Worlds First All Female Anti-Poaching Unit
Named after Africa's most deadly snake...
The New Black Mamba Crime Prevention Unit
As the responsibilities of the Mambas have increased in recent years, it has become necessary to deploy a team that focuses solely on crime prevention; allowing the Black Mambas APU to focus on, and continue with their disruptive patrols.
How the Black Mambas Female Anti-Poaching Unit is Protecting Wildlife and Nurturing Community
Black Mamba, Best Mother...
Black Mambas APU: 10 Years in Anti-Poaching
January 2023- Transfrontier Africa Monthly Newsletter
What's going on in 2024?
Unfortunately during 2022/2023 we saw a full resurgence of poaching, assassinations and criminal activity across the region. As we step into 2024, with borders and markets now fully open again, countering international wildlife crime is now, more than ever, crucial to wildlife preservation across the region. The Black Mambas will continue to respond with increased patrols, alongside the development of their new Crime Prevention Unit (CPU).
The Black Mambas have also been awarded special site status for rehabilitating Pangolins that have been trafficked and are in distress. There are only a few Nature Reserves in South Africa that are effective enough at their anti-poaching, to be allowed this honour - the Pangolin numbers are currently being decimated, so their effective support and protection is imperative to their survival as a species.
The Mambas work non-stop to protect the wildlife in Greater Kruger, and the partner ‘Bush Babies’ programme will continue to support the education of over 1200 children around the Reserve to help create a more informed and educational ‘next generation’ who are seeking to protect, not exploit or poach their national natural treasures.
Support Anti-Poaching
The Black Mambas Anti-poaching unit, and their sister programme, the Bush Babies, are both run 100% on donations from amazing people like you.
Your support will help ensure that the Rhinos, Elephants, Lions and other wonderful beasts of the wild survive - give them a chance - help the Mambas be their best and please donate whatever you can :)
Donate NowAlice's work with the Black Mambas...
Black Mambas APU
South Africa Resilience & Leadership Retreat
Empowering Success Exclusive
(June-July 2024)
Find out more...Black Mambas Recognition & Awards
Conservation AwardsIn March 2020, the Mambas were again recognised by the International Community, being at the forefront of Apples ‘Behind the Mac’ campaign - championing women breaking boundaries across the globe. Check out the video here.
The Mambas were also the lead for ‘A Mighty Girl’ on Facebook for World Wildlife Day, commending their efforts for protecting endangered species in South Africa. Click to see the article.
And in 2021 they were at the forefront of the Samsung International Womens Day campaign, with the launch of ‘Bush Watch’ so that you could watch the anti-poaching cameras from your home too…..
In October 2022 the Black Mambas were yet again recognised for their crucial work at the Oscars of Exploration, by the Scientific Exploration Society. They were both humbled and grateful to have been recognised as peers alongside some of the greatest names in conservation and innovation as they received the 'Pioneers with Purpose' award.
Scientific Exploration Society Awards, 12 October 2022
2022 UK TOUR
Alice and the Team at Empowering Success worked incredibly hard to ensure that at least some of the Black Mambas could receive their well deserved 'Pioneers with Purpose' award from the Scientific Exploration Society, in person, in London. YPO and United for Wildlife member, Qatar Airways, were both significant sponsors for this trip, and their support was much appreciated.
A huge heartfelt THANK YOU to all those that have shown the Black Mambas support, before, during and after their visit to the UK. Knowing that their work is valued and appreciated makes a huge difference; the morale component is fundamental in any battle - and your support helps foster this.
Events such as those below are a powerful platform in the vital need to share, learn, innovate and collaborate together.
Here's just a snippet of their busy UK trip:
United for Wildlife Global Summit
3rd / 4th October 2022
The collective mission to end the illegal wildlife trade succeeds when we combine the resources of the private sector with the insight of frontline NGOs like the Black Mambas, along with the power of law enforcement agencies.
Black Mambas Speaking Events
Alice will be providing talks about the Black Mambas work for several national and international Organisations in 2024. So watch this space….. and if you would like Alice to come and speak to your organisation about the amazing work the Black Mambas do, and the lessons that we can all learn from their amazing work…. Please click the link below and book a call with Alice to discuss how we can support you, and how you can support the Black Mambas.
Together we are stronger.
Book your EventAlice's Black Mamba talk at the Royal Geographical Society:
In March 2019 Alice spoke at the Royal Geographical Society in London, presenting to a full auditorium on the works and day to day running of the Black Mambas.
Having made several trips out to work with them already on a pro bono basis, Alice’s first hand experience of the world’s first all female anti-poaching unit, and as the UK Ambassador for the charity, is educational, informative and an excellent application of her Resilience Leadership Training in action.
Fintech Industry supporting global anti- poaching initiative:
In 2019 there was a shift in global views as poaching and trafficking of wildlife became more widely considered as a crime, run by international organised crime syndicates, not just at local level.
The Royal Foundation and United For Wildlife set up the Financial task-force and has been working with partners within the Finance industry, to help develop mechanisms and processes to support the judicial process in finding and convicting those involved in International Wildlife Trafficking (IWT). This included the signing up of 40+ international banks to support this initiative and data processing companies coming onboard.
Where are we in 2024?
The Black Mambas, and all anti-poaching units need our support now as much as ever. So please support them with a donation, or by asking Alice to come and speak about their work so that the message can continue to be spread about the need for vigilance and action to keep the wild populations of South Africa, and Africa as a whole - alive and sustainable.
Donate NowNone of this has gone away!!
The Black Mambas received a wonderful donation just as Covid-19 lockdown was taking hold, which enabled them to move into their own operational base, and take on the next level of Black Mamba training and development.
This helped keep the Black Mambas operational effectiveness up during the Covid-19 lockdown period; their patrols were still finding snares, and keeping the poachers at bay. As the international movement restrictions were lifted, the surge of Rhino poaching in 2022 across Southern and Eastern Africa became totally unsustainable - and this is anticipated to only get worse. The financial and social pressures on the population continue to be exacerbated by the lack of tourist trade, and international criminals looking for opportunities to divest their portfolios and exploit the Reserves that have not kept up their anti-poaching capabilities. This is the time we need to reinforce the success of the Black Mambas and keep the poachers at bay...
International Wildlife crime is considered in the same league as Narcotics, Money Laundering & Human Trafficking.
The support and severity of this issue was reiterated when the Presidency of the FAFT (Financial Action Task Force) was taken on by China in 2019, and fighting international wildlife crime became one of the new Presidents priorities. Environmental crime is one of the top three rated organised crime areas globally; it is a multi-billion dollar industry. The importance in tackling this, was reiterated at the United for Wildlife Summit in London, October 2022, where the current Chairman of the FAFT (Singapore) reaffirmed his determination to counter international wildlife crime. This had already been raised as one of the areas of focus for the President of FAFT in 2019 (Chinese Presidency), so it is good to see that the international community is still focused on reducing this area of international organised crime. If anything, post the Covid-19 pandemic, we should all be even MORE vigilant and careful of the movement of zoological products and diseases. Keeping the wildlife in its country of origin has moved from being not only an organised crime issue, to also being an international health consideration. Let's hope this helps keep the pressure on countering wildlife crime at every level.
The Mambas offer a key link between those on the ground, working daily to protect the wildlife, and those in the financial sector, who can track and charge those paying for the wildlife products. If you are interested in anti-money laundering or financial forensics - this is an area we can all support!
Support the Black Mambas
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