While giraffe hunter Rebecca Francis incurs the wrath of a thousand animal lovers on Twitter – including Ricky Gervais – Kinessa Johnson is inspiring a wealth of fan support.

Why? Because while the tattooed army veteran is a hunter, it’s the animals she’s protecting, not shooting for sport.

Johnson, from Washington, poaches poachers in Africa in order to preserve endangered wildlife from becoming extinct.

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She signed up to the Veterans Empowered to Protect African Wildlife (VETPAW) as an anti-poaching advisor following a tour of Afghanistan as a weapons instructor and mechanic.

“Our intention is not to harm anyone; we're here to train park rangers so they can track and detain poachers and ultimately prevent poaching,” she told 11 Alive.

 

“Most of the time anyone that is in a reserve with a weapon is considered a threat and can be shot if rangers feel threatened.

“Our goal is to prevent trigger pulling through strategic movements and methods of prevention.”

She is currently on ground in Arusha in Tanzania.

Unsurprisingly, her biggest supporters now include:

 

 

 

Shape Created with Sketch. Critically endangered species

Show all 10
left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch.

Shape Created with Sketch. Critically endangered species

1/10 Yangtze Finless Porpoise

There are as few as 1,000 of this highly intelligent dolphin from the Chinese river of Yangtze.
Wikmedia

2/10 Cross River Gorilla

There are around 200-300 left in the wild.
Wikmedia

3/10 The Amur Leopard

There are only around 30 left, exclusively in the Russian Far East.
Wikmedia

4/10 Black Rhino

Improving numbers, but with fewer than 5,000 left in central Africa, it is critically endangered.
Wikmedia

5/10 Hawskbill Sea Turtle

Mostly threatened by wildlife trade; their shells highly valued.
Wikmedia

6/10 Javan Rhino

The most threatened rhino species - there are as few as 35 in Ujung Kulon National Park in Java, Indonesia.
Wikmedia

7/10 Leatherback Turtle

Having lost many of its habitable beaches, and impacted by fishing operations, this seaturtle is considered by WWF to be 'critically endangered'.
Wikmedia

8/10 South China Tiger

It is believed to be 'functionally extinct', with none of the species left in the wild.
Wikmedia

9/10 Sumatran Elephant

There are between 2,400 - 2,800 of this elephant native to Borneo and Sumatra.
Wikmedia

10/10 Sumatran Orangutan

There are an est. 7,300 but the gradual deforestation of their Sumatran habitat may threaten further.
Wikmedia

 

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