National Geographic USA – June 2019

program; only three quit. Years ago Mander ran

a similar course for 189 men. At the end of day

one, all but three had quit. “We thought we were

putting [the women] through hell,” Mander says.

“But it turns out, they’ve already been through it.”

T

HE NEXT MORNING the sun rises

over the Akashinga camp—a dozen

green tents arrayed on a hilltop

that offers a panoramic view of the

region. The women eat breakfast,

and Mander briefs them on the

coming night’s two raids—one on the com-

pound of a man said to possess an unlicensed

rifle used to kill wildlife, the other on the home

of a suspected poacher said to be trying to sell

a leopard skin.

They spend the morning practicing, ensuring

each ranger knows her position. Then Mander

gets behind the wheel, four rangers jump in the

back with a local police officer, who will oversee

the raid, and the team sets off.

It’s after midnight when they finally approach

the home of the suspected owner of the

unlicensed rifle. Mander speeds into the com-

pound and slams on the brakes. The rangers leap

out and take up the positions they had practiced.

One raps on the front door. Eventually the sus-

pect allows them inside, where they find the dried

skins of several duikers, a small antelope species.

The man is handcuffed and loaded into the truck.

It’s a clear, black night, and the Milky Way

stretches across the sky. The rangers have been

up for nearly 24 hours. But the leopard skin seller

remains at large. “We are not tired,” Kumire says.

“We don’t tire until our job is done.”

Before they return to their base the next

morning, they’ll arrest the alleged leopard

poacher. The next night, they’ll catch a sus-

pected elephant poacher. In the hours between,

they’ll continue their patrols, removing several

poachers’ snares. It’s results like this that show

Mander his instinct was right. “Women like this

can change everything.” j

Lindsay N. Smith is on the staff of National Geo-

graphic. Brent Stirton has photographed several

wildlife investigative stories, including the illegal

ivory trade article for the September 2015 issue.

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