AFRICA IS INDESCRIBABLY BEAUTIFUL.
IT HAS WATERFALLS, MOUNTAINS, BIG OPEN PLAINS -- WELL, YOU CAN
DESCRIBE IT.
IT'S HOME TO SOME OF THE MOST MAJESTIC ANIMALS.
AND THOSE WHO HUNT THEM.
ILLEGAL ANIMAL POACHING VIOLATES ALL SORTS OF
INTERNATIONAL LAWS, AND IT'S DRIVING ELEPHANTS AND RHINOS
TOWARD EXTINCTION.
THOUSANDS ARE KILLED EVERY YEAR FOR THEIR HORNS AND TUSKS.
I'VE COME TO THIS REMOTE PART OF AFRICA TO MEET THE PEOPLE
FIGHTING TO SAVE THESE ANIMALS.
A COMMANDER, AND FOUNDER OF THE ANTI-POACHING FOUNDATION.
>> POACHING IS ILLEGALLY COMING IN AND TAKING AN ANIMAL, KILLING
AN ANIMAL.
WE'VE COME ACROSS OUR RHINO AND ELEPHANT THAT THE FACE IS HACKED
OFF.
>> WITH WHAT?
>> AN AXE.
FOR THEIR HORN, THEIR TUSK.
>> WHY DO THEY LIKE THEIR HORNS?
>> THEY USE IT IN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE, SOME PEOPLE SAY IT'S
AN APHRODISIAC.
>> IT HASN'T BEEN WORKING, IF THE RUMORS ARE TRUE?
WHAT'S YOUR BACKGROUND?
>> I WAS WITH THE ARMY SPECIAL OPERATIONS.
I DID 12 TOURS IN IRAQ.
>> THAT SEEMS LIKE A LOT.
>> AFTER YEARS OF COMBAT THEY'RE TOLD TO SWITCH IT OFF.
>> THERE'S NOT TOO MANY JOBS FOR A SNIPER WHEN YOU GET BACK HOME,
ENDED UP JUST FACE DOWN IN A BLOODY PUDDLE OF COKE AND
TEQUILA.
>> THINGS WORKED OUT PRETTY GOOD?
>> I HIT ROCK BOTTOM.
>> THIS IS WHERE SOME VERY LARGE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS COME
IN.
I FOUND A CAMEL, HELPS ME COPE DAY TO DAY.
BUT WILD ANIMALS CHANGED DAMIAN'S LIFE, AND NOW HE'S
USING HIS MILITARY EXPERTISE TO PROTECT ANIMALS IN ZIMBABWE AND
BEYOND.
WHAT SETS DAMIAN APART IS THE WAY HE RECRUITS RANGERS.
>> WE STARTED EMPLOYING EXCLUSIVELY WOMEN FROM THE LOCAL
COMMUNITY.
A BIG SHIFT IN MIND-SET FOR ME.
I COME FROM THE ULTIMATE BOYS CLUB.
WE RIDICULED OTHER UNITS THAT TRANSITIONED TO ACCEPT THEM.
>> I HEAR THAT.
[ LAUGHTER ] >> I SAT DOWN WITH TWO RANGERS
FROM DAMIAN'S CREW.
WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES A GOOD RANGER.
>> IT'S CARRYING.
>> YEAH.
>> FOR MANY OF THESE WOMEN, BEING A RANGER IS THE FIRST
PAYING JOB THEY'VE EVER HAD.
AND TO THE SURPRISE OF ABSOLUTELY NO ONE.
LOCAL MEN WERE NOT TOO HAPPY FOR THEM.
JUST LIKE LATE NIGHT TV HOSTS, FIELD RANGERS IS A JOB THAT
ALMOST ALWAYS GOES TO A MAN.
>> HAVE YOU FELT PUSH BACK FROM YOUR COMMUNITY?
>> YOU CAN ENDURE YOUR JOB -- IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME.
>> HAVE YOU HAD A PUSH BACK?
>> YEAH.
>> IT'S THE BEST.
I DON'T CARE IS THE STRONGEST SENTENCE IN THE HUMAN LANGUAGE.
YOU HAVE TO [ BLEEP ] MEAN IT, THOUGH, YOU HAVE TO MEAN IT.
>> WE KNEW WE WERE GOING TO TRY THEM HARDER THAN THE MEN.
>> LET'S GO.
LET'S GO.
HALFWAY THROUGH DAY ONE, WE KNEW WE HAD SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL.
WE WERE EXPOSING THEM TO THE FOUR GREAT PILLARS OF MISERY TO
BE HUNGRY, COLD, TIRED AND WET.
>> IT'S LIKE HELL WEEK.
I LOOK AT THINGS EARLY ON AND GO, I WON'T ENJOY THAT.
I'LL QUIT NOW.
HERE WE ARE, SEASON THREE.
THIS ISN'T THE FIRST BIG CHALLENGE THESE WOMEN HAVE FACED
IN LIFE.
>> THEY COME FROM DISADVANTAGED BACKGROUNDS FULL OF POVERTY AND
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. >> WOMEN THAT WERE SURVIVORS OF
SERIOUS SEXUAL ASSAULT, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT
TURNED UP FOR SELECTION.
>> HER HUSBAND BEAT HER SO BRUTALLY, OFTEN SHE COULD BARELY
STAND UP AFTERWARDS. >> WE WERE TRYING TO PUT THEM
THROUGH HELL, THE REAFLTY IS, THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH
IT.
>> FOR ALL THESE REASONS, HE NAMED HIS SQUAD AKASHINGA.
>> WE'VE SEEN NO CORRUPTION WITH THE WOMEN.
A WOMAN SPENDS THREE TIMES MORE OF HER SALARY ON HER FAMILY.
MEN SPEND IT ON BOOZE OR KNOCK SHOPS.
>> WHERE WOULD THAT KNOCK SHOP BE?
[ LAUGHTER ] WHY ARE MEN SO CORRUPT?
>> BECAUSE THEY ONLY -- >> YOU'RE ENTIRELY RIGHT, I
THINK PEOPLE WHO SPEND MONEY ON FRIVOLOUS THINGS ARE ASSHOLES.
AGREE WITH THAT.
>> THE WOMEN SO FAR, THEY MADE 90 ARRESTS.
THEY ACT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, ON HOUSES OF KNOWN
POACHERS.
THEY COME FROM THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
LET'S BE HONEST, WOMEN LOVE TO TALK, THEY LOVE TO GOSSIP.
>> THEY LIKE TO GOSSIP.
>> WE GET ALL THE INFORMATION IN, WE ANALYZE IT, IT BECOMES
INTELLIGENCE.
>> DAMION SAID, YOU CAN GET IN BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE, IS THAT
TRUE?
OR IS HE AN ASSHOLE?
>> IT'S TRUE.
>> YEAH, HE'S AN ASSHOLE, YOU'RE RIGHT.
DO YOU THINK I COULD BE A RANGER?
>> I THINK YOU NEED MORE TRAINING.
>> MORE TRAINING?
>> YES.
>> I REALLY CAN'T RUN THIS ONE.
>> TRY TO BE A STRONG MAN, LET'S GO.
>> IT'S MUCH EASIER TO STAND UP.
WHEN DOES THIS EVER COME INTO PLAY?
>> LET'S GO.
>> ALL RIGHT.
I'M GOING TO HIDE.
YOU'LL NEVER FIND ME.
YOU'RE A POACHER, THIS IS YOUR TARGET, I'M GOING TO STICK IT
OUT.
YOU'RE GOING TO GET TO IT, BEFORE THE WOMEN GET TO YOU.
>> HOW DO POACHERS REACT TO WOMEN ARRESTING THEM.
>> THEY CALM THE [ BLEEP ] DOWN VERY QUICKLY.
WOMEN WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION, THEY WANT TO KNOW
HOW TO DE-ESCALATE IT.
>> I BELIEVE THAT WOMEN IN THE SOUTH OF AFRICA ARE DIFFERENT
FROM WOMEN IN L.A.
[ LAUGHTER ] WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO MEN WHO
SAY YOU SHOULDN'T BE DOING THIS?
>> OH, I MUST HAVE TIME WITH YOU, TO SIT DOWN, LIKE WHAT I AM
DOING WITH YOU.
>> THIS IS INTERESTING.
I FELT THE DEESCALATION RIGHT THEN, YOU COULD HAVE GONE AND
TOLD HIM TO [ BLEEP ] OFF.
I WOULD SIT DOWN WITH HIM, LOOK HIM IN THE EYE, AND TELL THEM
WHY I'M GOOD AT MY JOB.
>> YEAH, HOW DO LITTLE GIRLS REACT WHEN THEY SEE YOU IN
UNIFORM?
>> THEY'RE PROUD OF US. >> THEY'RE PROUD OF YOU?
>> MY DAUGHTER ACTUALLY SAYS, MOM, WHEN I GROW UP, I JUST WANT
TO BE A RANGER LIKE YOU.
>> YOU CAN'T DO BETTER THAN WHEN YOUR KID WANTS TO BE JUST LIKE
YOU, YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT, RIGHT?
YEAH.
SURE THESE ANIMALS NEED PROTECTION
THEY GIVE THE PEOPLE WHO PROTECT THEM A LOT IN RETURN.
I WANNA SEE THESE ANIMALS FOR MYSELF.
SO WE'RE HEADING OUT ON SAFARI.
ZEBRAS.
>> LOOK AT THAT ONE THERE.
BUFFALO.
>> THAT ONE RIGHT THERE.
>> THERE'S A RHINO?
>> HE'S GOT A LONG THIN HORN.
DOES THAT MEAN THE HORN'S OLDER?
>> SOME OF US HAVE THINGS THAT ARE LONGER THAN OTHERS.
>> IT'S JUST YOU -- LUCK OF THE DRAW.
>> THIS RHINO HERE, THIS BIG ONE, HE PROBABLY HAS ABOUT 30
POUNDS OF RHINO HORN.
IT SELLS FOR $35,000 U.S. A POUND.
>> THAT'S OVER A MILLION DOLLARS FOR THAT ONE HORN.
>> RIGHT.
>> MORE THAN GOLD, OIL OR DRUGS, RHINO HORNS ARE THE MOST
VALUABLE COMMODITY ON THE PLANET.
AND THEY'RE JUST STROLLING AROUND THE POOREST COUNTRIES ON
EARTH.
SO LOOK, I'M NOT CONDONING IT, BUT IF YOU'RE TRYING TO FEED
YOUR FAMILY, I GET IT.
HASN'T A LOT OF IT GOT TO DO WITH GETTING RID OF THE DEMAND
RATHER THAN GETTING RID OF THE POACHERS?
>> IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GOT TO BE FOUGHT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE
POND, IN ASIA, TRYING TO REDUCE THE DEMAND AND THEN OVER HERE ON
THE GROUND, TRYING TO WORK WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES, WHICH IS WHAT
WE'RE DOING.
YOU NEED GOVERNMENTS TO GO -- WE KNOW THIS PERSON IS INVOLVED.
WE'RE GOING TO PROSECUTE.
>> THE BABY'S DOING SOMETHING ADORABLE.
THAT'S JUST -- THAT'S MY SON IN THE MORNING TRYING TO WAKE ME
UP.
>> HE'S GOT HIS SNORKEL OUT.
I COULD SEE SOMETHING BOUNCING AROUND DOWN THERE.
>> OR HIS DICK'S OUT.
THE KID IS JUST RUBBING HIS DICK AGAINST THE PARENT.
>> YEAH.
>> THIS HAS ALL GONE A BIT SORDID.
IT'S NOT THAT STEPSISTER PORN I'VE BEEN WATCHING.
MAYBE IT'S A DWARF PORN, A FETISHY THING.
IT'S OVER KNOW.
SMUTTY, BUT INSPIRING, IT'S A REMINDER THAT EVEN THOUGH ANIMAL
POPULATIONS ARE IN DANGER, NATURE WILL REPAIR ITSELF.
SO IF YOU'RE ONE OF THESE PATHETIC TROPHY HUNTERS OR A
[ BLEEP ] POACHING YOUR OWN COUNTRY'S NATURAL HERITAGE, I
IMPLORE YOU, THE POPULATION NEEDS TO REBUILD, SO LET THESE
ANIMALS [ BLEEP ] IN PEACE.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] >> YOU KNOW, WE NEED THE REST OF
THE WORLD TO UNDERSTAND THESE ARE NOT AFRICAN ANIMALS, IT'S A
GLOBAL ASSET AND GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR US ALL TO
LOOK AT IT.
>> THEY HAVE THE RIGHTS TO LIVE.
WE HAVE TO SUPPORT THEIR INTRINSIC VALUE IN THE WORLD.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]