Crop damages caused by elephants on farms located within conservation landscapes, are an important source for human-elephant conflicts (HECs). In the Luangwa Valley of Zambia elephants (Loxodonta africana) are not only massively damaging maize fields but also grain stores and houses. On the other hand elephants are increasingly killed due to poaching but also in retaliation. In the Game Management Area Lupande, adjacent to the South Luangwa National Park, new strategies for crop protection were co-designed by local stakeholders and NGOs.
As farmers stated that medicinal and aromatic plants were not consumed by elephants, a field experiment was conducted in 2010/2011 to proof this hypothesis. We tested the attractiveness of ginger, lemon grass, garlic and onion compared to a control plot of maize. The results revealed that three of the test crops were less attractive than maize, however not totally unpalatable. Lemon grass and ginger produced high yields and a high potential for income generation, providing that market access was available. Furthermore, the design of a traditional grain store, which was frequently damaged by elephants, was used to develop it into an elephant safe alternative. After a successful trial phase, including regular monitoring, over 100 enforced grain stores were constructed from 2011 to 2017 and have proven safe against elephants. Another crop protection device that was developed through the use of local knowledge, was the chilli bomber. Farmers and local hunters had started to use muzzle loading guns filled with chilli powder, instead of lead shot, to scare away elephants from fields. Due to conservation and health concerns NGOs did not want to support this method. Together with potential users and external experts a chilli bomber was created, that fits the local needs and operates very reliable. This simple, self-constructed device is used to shoot ping-pong balls, filled with a liquid chilli-oil extract, against elephants. In a trial phase in 2016/2017 nearly 1000 elephant encounters were recorded with a deterrent rate of 83%.
Co-designing human-wildlife conflict mitigation strategies together with those primarily involved in the conflict situation, bears a strong potential for successful and sustainable solutions. Success and failure, however, can only be revealed reliably, by thorough monitoring and evaluation.
Topics: Management of Human-Wildlife Conflicts: “Other” Species in Europe
