Kinessa Johnson is a US Army veteran who served for 4 years in Afghanistan, this week she arrived in Africa to take on a different kind of enemy. Her new mission is, as she puts it, “We’re going over there to do some anti-poaching, kill some bad guys, and do some good.” She is now enlisted with Veterans Empowered To Protect African Wildlife (VETPAW) as an anti-poaching advisor. VETPAW is a not-for-profit organization that employs US Veterans to help protect African wildlife from being illegally hunted and captured.
Ms. Johnson and her team of fellow Vets arrived in Tanzania on March 26th and began their work. She has already noticed a decrease in poaching activity in her team’s immediate area because their presence is known. Which is easy to understand, who would want to fight it out with a battle proven warrior like Johnson? Her team’s primary focus will be training park rangers and patrolling with them to provide support. African park rangers are in serious need of assistance, as she mentions, “they lost about 187 guys last year over trying to save rhinos and elephants.” The training they will provide includes marksmanship, field medicine, and counter-intelligence.
Johnson joined VETPAW because she loves animals and protecting endangered species is close to her heart. Africa has the largest populations of rhinos and elephants in the world, making it the frontline for defending these endangered species that are top targets for poachers. Additionally, revenue from the sale of products from poached animals is often used to fund war and terrorism in Africa. She says that after the obvious first priority of enforcing existing poaching laws, educating the locals on protecting their country’s natural resources is most important overall.
Ms. Johnson has taken to social media to help raise money and awareness for the cause and she now has over 44,000 followers on Facebook and Instagram. Checkout her profiles where she has some amazing photos of exotic African animals and updates on what her team is doing. While we all don’t have the skills to take up arms to combat poaching, you can support Johnson and her team by donating to VETPAW and sharing their mission. Soon you’ll be able to watch Johnson and her team on a new show on the Discovery Channel.
It’s really awesome to see men and women like Johnson who have served their country now serving the world by protecting some of its most precious resources. When asked if her or her team had killed any poachers yet in a Q & A on Reddit she stated, “We don’t operate with the intent to kill anyone.” The African poachers would be well advised no to test this All-American badass on that though.
Watch the video below where Johnson announced her new mission! (She starts discussing at mark 1:23)
Read more at http://tv.bamargera.com/this-woman-hunts-poachers/?r04tWymQ1JVmsl4g.99
Read more at http://tv.bamargera.com/this-woman-hunts-poachers/?r04tWymQ1JVmsl4g.99
Exposing the Big Game 
Go get ’em! wonderful to see the good guys helping directly – a system like this should have happened years ago. Happy hunting 😉
With all of the hunting programs on television, I’m really looking forward to an anti-poaching, animal protection show. These vets are making the world a better place.
I agree. The media have sold out to the gun and hunting groups and the he-man image.
It’s still humans hunting animals : )
I would watch that show! Specially for this girl, she makes most action film stars look like weaklings.
Finally someone steps up to the plate to defend the completely innocent from those murdering savages (regardless who they are or where they’re from). Thank you, Kinessa!! There will be millions of people supporting you.
Our full strength at your hand and heart!
SO PROUD OF YOU,, BE CAREFULL. SAVING THERE LIFES. OUR SWEET ANIMALS.
What great news–this is what military should be about. If there be war, let it be about fighting the animal poachers! Most poachers are cowards (just like regular hunters), so if this catches on, we just might see a drop in poaching!!
Reblogged this on Howling For Justice.
What a wonderful thing to do for wildlife. Wish a vet could do the same for the wolves in the Northwest, but it is legal to kill them. So sad.
Excellent! Wish I could get out there and join them but I’m a little old lady. Go VETPAW. Mind you it is our GOVERNMENTS who should be protecting our wildlife.
You awesome people. It’s sad to think that it’s come to this extreme way to protect our beautiful creatures but hay, it needs to be done. Good luck to you all.
Reblogged this on hocuspocus13 and commented:
jinxx ♣ xoxo
awesome
Good for them! As long as poachers/hunters/abusers in general get by because they are human beings and animals don’t matter, the killing will go on. When we finally get serious and shoot back, then maybe the wildlife will survive. They have a right to their lives, and people had better get used to a new way of thinking about the other animals we share this earth with.
I know, there’s a misconception that poachers are ‘poor villagers desperate to feed their families’. Aside from the fact that unrestrained human breeding will wipe out wildlife eventually trying to feed itself (and implying that this is ok because humans are ‘more important’ than anything else on the planet, and when it’s all gone then what will they do?), many times these poachers are international terrorists funding their brutal activities by butchering wildlife and selling their body parts on the black market. The world will be a kinder, gentler place without them.
You’re right about the unrestrained human breeding fueling the bushmeat trade. And the fact that the poaching is supporting terrorism is surely behind the policy to use lethal force to stop them. If only the same lethal force were allowed for bushmeat hunters and international trophy hunters as well.
At least someone is resolute enough to do this. Thanks for her.
Good, now maybe poachers will learn that poaching is illegal in the first place, and dangerous for them (the poachers)…
This is mostly all HYPE and PR and little useable reailty. Start off with taking a closer look at the very new and unlikely to last nonprofit VetPaw. People sure get excited over guns and a womans body. The issue is complex and it is likely impossible to stop the decline of Elephants and rhino for three reasons; 1) geopolitics and residual colonialism and neo-colonialism – all of Africa has been little more than a place to plunder treasure mostly by white europeans for about 600 years. It is not so much ivory as it is rare earth metals. 2) Habitat loss and alteration by human encroachment in a changing climate. For instance where elephants lived for 1000’s of years needs to geographically shift due to climate change. 3) Ivory trade etc in part is fuelled today not by just hungy villagers but by rebel forces that will use illict trade as a funding source. This is in part reactive to continuing colonialism.
Take a very close look at the site of the NonProfit VetPaw; they have their branding of T-shirts and mugs you can buy, but notice the sponsors are all arm and miltary manufacterers. These are the same entities that have chosen this tattooed diesel mechanic as their model for weapons. More pablum for increasingly rightwing and solve by the bullet America. This is not the typical NGO, it is a new nonprofit and doubt it will survive long as one. This is America at its worst and leaching across the globe where perception is everything and substance means less and less.
You might want to learn more about the issues of Africa by searches such as this: Africa + colonialism + resources + ivory trade + rebels + current events
Do we do nothing?
Before we start praising her, what exactly is her “battle proven” experience? If she actually has combat experience, then great!! But if she did something else, like administration or inventory in the Army then all this is is an ideal being romanticized by the media and a poster girl just looking tough. We need more info.
True
You could go and just ask her…she does have a FB profile.
😐 Does it matter? I don’t see you raising your hand to risk your life to go over there to save animals.
Seems like finally a good cause for that particular skill set.
Yep, finally. It needs to happen here.
Great job! She is a badass!! Hope Kendall Jones gets on her way!
What a healthy way for vets to still be involved in a cause instead of feeling alienated and isolated.
a cheap copter drone…a cheap cellphone…a shaped explosive charge attached to the underside of the drone…(like a Claymore)…then topped off with a cheap infrared camera…stealthily dropped over a poacher camp in the dead of night…would be an effective way to “dissuade” these poachers.
how do i sign up? no service, but no issues either. train me. I’m in.
Amazing!!! Thanks for fighting for the animals!!
This is great news! I don’t think there’s much much difference between hunters and poachers. Hunters define poachers as those who: trespasses on private property; kill in excess of legal bag limits; kill out of season; have no passion for the outdoors and no respect for the law.
A hunter will tell you that “legitimate” hunters pursue game in ways that comply with the law, respect the boundaries of property owners, conserve natural resources, and help keep wildlife populations in balance. They will not use the word “hunter” when talking about poachers as they try to distance themselves from poachers as much as they can.
If you look at the conservation laws in South Africa for example, where unlimited amounts of animals are legally allowed to be killed daily (including the use of bow and arrow), and you consider that the authorities cannot – and do not – monitor this and that landowners widely abuse these laws which impacts heavily on wildlife populations, another issue arises: It could be argued that legal hunting is more unethical than poaching much of the time…
Good point.
This Marine thanks you. I am pro animal. Need help, I can pluck a man from 1000m away. Go gettem, let’s put an end to this. Any chance you can “clip” a few trophy hunters while you’re at it?
Reblogged this on siouxielovecraft and commented:
At least there are some people who will stand toe-to-toe with the worst monsters that our species has produced.
Wow, finally a true heroe. I love your work and would love to be in your shoes.
So, first serving a country that destroys the global environment the most, by invading another country, now she is trying to do what, make up for bad conscience or just continue to be a war hungry psycho under false pretensions? Don’t trust the animal protection agenda at all.
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Reblogged this on Jim McDonald.
So she served all 4 years in Afghanistan?
I met an African poacher; my impression was that people take the huge risks associated with poaching because of poverty.
Killing people is as bad, or worse, than killing animals.
God bless you for what you are doing because it has to stop o we will have no wildlife left .its nice to know wildlife has a friend in you and your team go kick some poaching scum ass
I completely agree that we must preserve the Animal wildlife in Africa, but there is also an other side to this. Those poachers might do this to make some money, because they do not have other means to survive. I feel that its our duty to see that people in Africa get the possibility to earn there own money in there own country one way or another. Then you will see that they are not interested in poaching and preserving this would not be necessary by people with guns.
Please add protecting gorillas to your list!
I too am glad to see these poachers get a taste of their own medicine, but are they going to get the middle men in this lucrative business? I know that the officials know who these middle men are. And I am sure they are of european decent. Are they going to shoot these monsters too? Are they? Let’s face it, we know the African poachers are from poor villages in Africa. They are driven by POVERTY. To me … still poaching is not an excuse for this. They are paid a tiny fraction of the cost of these animal products by the middle men, who are driven by GREED. Then we arrive in China where these products and their derivatives are sold. Here the trade is driven by IGNORANCE where its citizens have their strange beliefs in the magical powers of these animal products. So what does the world do? Declare open season on the black man ….. in Africa. It’s got to be his fault. Wabbit season? No, poor man season!
Love this woman she is beautifull what a piece would dream to be in her team
…No intent except the “kill some bad guys” thing. I admire the mission, but murder’s still murder.
So is poaching elephants.
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Thank you Ms. Johnson for your passion and compassion for those who cannot speak for themselves.
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