Fantastic photographs and engaging graphics bring the encouraging true story of the Black Mambas to life. A gallery of headshots on the endpapers introduces readers to the titular team with the directive, “Meet the rangers. Can you find all of us in the book?” Twenty smiling women in camouflage uniforms comprise the Black Mambas, the first female park rangers in South Africa and the first women-led anti-poaching unit in the world. Most of the rangers profiled grew up in the villages surrounding the Olifants West Nature Reserve yet had never seen the animals it protected. Ranger positions offered women the opportunity to support their families, though there wasn’t always approval for women to do what was considered a dangerous job. Rangers patrol for poachers, usually men from villages hoping to make money by selling animal parts or meat. The female rangers trained together and forged a sisterhood on the job. Clear text and photos detail ranger tasks and tools, such as patrolling fencelines, using walkie talkies, and searching the bush for snares, without shying away from the dangers of working with wildlife and the brutalities of poaching. Sidebars and quotes enhance the main narrative and offer insights from individual rangers, as well as quick facts (for example, black mambas have black mouths, but they’re not black snakes). Pride in the work they do to protect animals radiates from this absorbing informational text.

Head out on patrol with the Black Mambas, South Africa's first women-led anti-poaching unit.

This anti-poaching team is unlike any other: they carry no weapons. Instead, they keep animals safe with frequent patrols and a keen eye for footprints, snares, and other clues that poachers are nearby. These courageous women work in a nature reserve in South Africa’s Greater Kruger National Park. The reserve is home to the largest remaining populations of white rhinos, critically endangered black rhinos, and ground pangolins, one of the most trafficked animals in the world.

Author and photographer Kelly Crull traveled to South Africa to see firsthand how the Black Mambas are making a difference—for animals and for their communities. He tells their incredible story from their perspective, giving readers an unforgettable look at these environmental heroes.

A portion of the proceeds from this book will be donated to the Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit.