While the continent of Africa is definitely more than it’s safaris, the face of wildlife conservation is overwhelmingly white and foreign, conjuring up paternalistic images.

The Black Mambas are a group of unarmed women who patrol in the Balule Nature Reserve, a protected area in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The reserve is part of Greater Kruger National Park. Employing local in important positions such as these helps to bridge the large cultural and wealth divide in South Africa.

According to the Guardian, this highly-trained group of women are the reason that snare poaching has dropped nearly 90% in the last year. The Black Mambas are deeply dedicated to conservation. “I am a lady, I am going to have a baby. I want my baby to see a rhino, that’s why I am protecting it,” Leitah Michabel, who has been working as a Mamba for two years tells the Guardian.