The Akashinga Ranger Report is a quarterly set of stories that puts you behind-the-scenes with the Akashinga Rangers. You'll be immersed in the rangers’ activities, experiences, stories, and achievements as they protect, connect, and restore invaluable ecosystems across Southern Africa.

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Honouring Rangers On World Ranger Day, July 31

Every year on July 31, the conservation world pauses to honour the people who do this work every day. For us, that's the Akashinga Rangers: the world's first armed, women-led anti-poaching unit, patrolling and protecting ecosystems across Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

World Ranger Day has been observed globally since 2007, honouring the men and women who do this work everywhere, and remembering those killed or injured in the line of duty.

This quarter's report is a small window into what that looks like in practice: training, patrols, races, and the everyday work that adds up to real protection for the wildlife and ecosystems in our care.

World Female Ranger Week: Meet Melody Mucherwa

World Female Ranger Week, marked each June, celebrates women rangers and creates space for peer support across the sector. Back in June, we spotlighted Melody Mucherwa, a former Akashinga Ranger who now serves as Community Guardian and Liaison Officer for four villages in Zimbabwe's Hurungwe District.

Before the sun rises, Melody Mucherwa is already reading the ground. Her day begins in the early hours of Zimbabwe's cold June mornings, moving through the terrain, scanning for spoor to alert the community of any wildlife near the boundary.

Melody works across Hotel, Mountain View, Sierra, and India Villages in Zimbabwe's Hurungwe District. Her role sits at the intersection of people and nature, where conflict can either grow, or be quietly, carefully prevented.

When elephants invade a family's garden in the night, Melody goes to help reinforce the fences. When lion tracks appear near the village boundary, she alerts the community before children are sent to school. She helps build stronger kraals to protect livestock from lions and hyenas, and teaches children to walk in groups during elephant season.

Her consistency has earned her the trust of the community she serves. Agnes Matiki, a resident of Mountainview Village, has seen the difference firsthand. “We had been facing a lot of human-wildlife conflict issues, as wild animals would destroy our fields,” she says. “But when we report to Akashinga, they always come to our rescue, and we are now able to harvest our crops well.”

That responsiveness is something Melody and her fellow Community Guardians take seriously. When a report comes in, they do not wait. At times they pitch tents in the villages overnight, monitoring the area and chasing animals away before conflict can escalate.

For one family in Hotel Village, whose garden had been repeatedly raided by elephants, Melody worked to have metal strips installed around their plot. Problem solved. Relationship held.

“It is important for a community liaison officer to be from the community they serve,” she says. “I am able to relate to their challenges and provide appropriate solutions. Due to our existing relationships, community members are more receptive when I offer assistance.”

In Melody's work, conservation happens at the garden fence, on the school path, and in the early morning hours before the village wakes up. As she stands between people and wildlife, she reminds us that lasting conservation is built on protecting both the animals and the people living alongside them.

Fifteen Rangers Graduate from Mellivora Training

Since September 2025, Akashinga staff in Songo and Phundundu have completed three training courses with Mellivora Systems, an organisation that provides law enforcement and ranger training: Park Planning and Management, Patrol Leadership and Operations, and Firearms Training.

This quarter, 15 rangers from Songo and Phundundu graduated at a certificate ceremony held at the Akashinga Training Academy in Phundundu on April 28, representing the wider ranger unit trained across the programme. The certifications qualify them in the safe handling and use of firearms, and in planning, coordinating, and debriefing a full operational cycle, allowing the Operations and Training teams to work in step with each other.

“Being a ranger is not impossible, it is just hard,” says Audrey Tanyaradzwa Moffat, an Akashinga Ranger based in Phundundu and one of this quarter's Mellivora graduates. “‘Impossible’ and ‘hard’ are two completely different things. That’s why conservation is a responsibility that I carry out from the heart.”

Akashinga Rangers Take On the ZimParks Half Marathon

In April 2026, Akashinga took part in the ZimParks Half Marathon in Harare, sponsoring the event alongside the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, one of our key conservation partners.

Participation was earned, not given. A pre-selection process was held at both Zimbabwe camps, with candidates assessed on endurance over a 10-kilometre benchmark, completion-focused rather than timed. A total of 12 runners from Phundundu and Songo took part, and the process lifted morale at both camps well before race day itself. Akashinga Team Leader Fungisai Hangaranga finished 5th in the 20–39 years category, and Akashinga Ranger Alisiya Muleya finished 7th. Training Programme Manager Pamela Maisiri also ran, representing the Training Department on race day.

Beyond the race itself, Akashinga held an exhibition stand where the team connected directly with the public. “We interacted with approximately 70 people who had no prior knowledge of Akashinga, a significant awareness gain,” says Blessing Neya, Akashinga Community Development Manager.

Zimbabwe and Mozambique Face Off in the Wildlife Ranger Challenge

Akashinga Rangers are gearing up for this year's Wildlife Ranger Challenge, competing in both Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The Wildlife Ranger Challenge is an annual pan-African event organised by Tusk and the Game Rangers Association of Africa (GRAA). It brings together over 170 ranger teams from 24 countries across a series of mental and physical challenges, culminating in a synchronised 21-kilometre race on September 19.

The quiz round has already been completed, with Phundundu placing 25th and Songo placing 35th out of 80 competing ranger teams in this year's quiz round.

On September 19, our teams in Songo, Phundundu, and Coutada 5, Mozambique will take on the half marathon, carrying full ranger packs. This is where your support really counts. Cheer them on.

How You Can Help

• Follow along on social and reshare our content.
• Think you can outperform an Akashinga Ranger? Take on a training challenge yourself. Tag us on social and share the hashtag #TrainLikeARanger.
• Support Race Day fundraising efforts on September 19 by making a donation.

Your support directly protects wildlife and the communities who depend on healthy ecosystems. We'll keep you posted as Race Day gets closer.