PROJECT BACKGROUND

Historically, elephants would migrate in large herds from the Ngorongoro Crater through the Highlands forest and across Selela valley to reach Lake Manyara and beyond.

With their routes now restricted to one single 3km-wide corridor that bisects Upper Kitete village, surrounded by a mosaic of farmland that was once the forest floor, elephants are easily drawn to the nutritious wheat, maize and bean crops they meet on their way.

Crop-raiding and farm damage caused by elephants creates conflict with farmers who lose their livelihoods within a matter of minutes. This can lead to retaliation attacks on elephants and opportunities for poaching gangs to easily recruit farmers who have lost their farming income to elephants. We focus on reaching conflict hotspots quickly to prevent further conflict. We do this by listening to the community, evaluating environmental factors, and working together on achievable and sustainable solutions, such as beehive fences, that meet the needs of people and promote meaningful coexistence with elephants.

Did you know, elephants have a fear of bees?

The simple coexistence technique of suspending beehives along a wire fence plays on the elephant’s innate fear of bees, to deter the herbivores from entering farms. This novel solution was first developed by Dr Lucy King at Save The Elephants. Bees target the thin areas of skin on an elephants; their ears, stomach, inside trunk and around their eyes. When elephants push the fence wire, or attempt to cross into farms, the bees are disturbed and will rush out to protect their hive and queen. When realising bees are present, elephants quickly retreat back into the forest. It works.