Poaching in the 56,000-acre private Balule Nature Reserve at Kruger National Park in South Africa has reduced by 75 per cent, thanks to an all-female anti-poaching unit that operates in the reserve.

The unit christened the black mambas draws its name from the sub-Saharan Africa most venomous snake black mamba. The snake’s one bite can kill a person in a few hours.

According to Valeria van der Westhuizen, communications manager for the Mambas, the name, she says represents the “the strength of the mambas, and their quick reactions.”

This anti-poaching unit was founded in 2013 and comprise of 14 women largely from the Phalaborwa community that resides near the park. Prior to the group’s formation, poaching for rhino horn and bush meat in the reserve was rampant, with poachers—many who came from the local communities—fetching up to US$26,000 for one horn.