An all-female armed unit is making sure poachers stay away from one of Africa’s largest elephant populations
In a local dialect, "Akashinga" means "The braves ones." It's also the name for the women's anti-poaching unit in Zimbabwe. Founded by Damien Mander at the International Anti-Poaching Foundation, the armed group has already made 42 arrests leading to sentences of up to nine years. The ranger unit deploys across Zimbabwe's lower Zambezi valley, an area that used to be a trophy hunting reserve, but now local communities are reclaiming it to help preserve one of Africa's largest elephant populations.