Elephants Alive uses a holistic model of science-based solutions to human-elephant conflict, in order to reduce conflict along important migratory corridors between protected areas such as the Kruger National Park, Limpopo National Park, Gonarhezou National Park and Maputo National Park. Research has shown that 57.4% of elephants’ current range is outside of game reserves, with 76% of the current elephant population regularly crossing international boundaries.
Because of these transboundary movements, elephants leave protected nature reserves and increasingly come across human settlements. This causes dangerous conflict situations, as these rural communities live off the land and farm edible crops like maize and cassava - which are also highly attractive for passing elephants to snack on! The local communities often lack the resources to adequately protect their crop fields from wildlife, and often have to resort to chasing the elephants or filing for a destruction permit with the local authorities. This ends in a lot of elephants being shot once they leave the protection of nature reserves. Elephants Alive collars elephants that are known to use those corridors in these regions, in order to track their movements and determine which areas need help most urgently. They provide training for Rapid Response Units, to safely deter elephants from raiding crop fields and prevent loss of both human and elephant lives. They enable local communities to construct low-cost, yet effective barriers using flashing lights, noisy metal strips, smelly rags, and hanging beehives - all of which have been shown to be effective in preventing cropraiding by elephants.
Wild Wonderful World travelers were able to assist with the collaring of an elephant bull named Mantsena in one of these communities, and learned about how the human-elephant conflict mitigation system helps to prevent food losses from elephant crop raiding, and creates additional income streams for rural, isolated communities along the boundaries of protected nature reserves like the Kruger National Park.
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