Who would have thought that that huge pachyderm, the elephant,
would be frightened by bees – yet they are.
A project has been started in Kenya – which by social media
(YouTube) has been copied by other conservation projects or local communities
which needed to work in conjunction with elephants and people. In Africa, Sri Lanka and India … the value of
social media – here I concur!
Dr Lucy King comes from Eastbourne, but works under the
auspices of Oxford University and Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Kenya. Her project, Save the Elephant, is an
innovative study into the use of novel Beehive
Fences as a natural elephant deterrent.
Man and animals so often do collide … crop-raiding; or for
profit through poaching … a cruel death.
Food is essential to all African farming communities leading to conflict
with humans if their crops are trampled or eaten. How to combat these challenges?
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| Crop raided farm |
The loss in numbers of this huge herbivorous mammal in Africa is
frightening; with their status being listed as vulnerable in 2008, while the
Asian elephant was endangered … yet numbers continue to be decimated all the
time.
650 elephants were killed in 2012 by Chadian raiders in Bouba D’Njida
National Park, Cameroon for their ivory.
A year later another 86 elephants and calves, including pregnant cows,
were killed in the same region.
About thirty years ago there were 150,000 elephant in the West
African area (Central African Republic, through Chad to Cameroon) … now that
figure could be as low as 2,000.
Horrific to consider.
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The location of Mwambiti Research area; it is near the Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary -
the green lozenge shape - on the edge of the Tsavo National Park and within the lowland
community settlements along the main road across to Mombasa on the Indian Ocean.
The green Park cutting in at top left of the picture is the Serengeti National Park. |
Conservationists are always looking for new ways to protect
these huge beasts in the areas where a decent elephant population still remains … southern
Africa, particularly Kenya … and where they co-habit with humans.
Dr King explained that they had heard elephants steered clear
of bees at their beehives … so after consideration – she and her team in Mwambiti
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| Dr Lucy King |
decided on a project to see if this was really true: the elephant were avoiding
certain trees that, for example, held a beehive.
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| A concept of an idea ... |
How and what to do … after research, their novel approach was
to build a flimsy fence around an area of a farmer’s land, where crops needed
protection, and string ‘beehive boxes’ at certain intervals.
The connective wire (hence the flimsy bit!) – once knocked by
the elephant it would rock the bees in their boxes awake – and the elephant
would move on.
However improbable it sounds it works … Dr King showed us some
remarkable footage … including of an elephant trying to get his leg through the
wire – it’s at about a metre high – and then being frustrated, trying again
using the other leg … so funny – but so brilliant to see this mammoth walking
off in disgust. (Videos and photos are on the website)
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Taking the wires used to hang the beehive boxes
between the staves around the farmer's field |
Still the huge benefits this work brings to the community –
they now have an actual research centre in the locality – visiting dignitaries
(Bill Clinton and Chelsea) highlight the Project in other arenas …
I see an
Australian soil scientist has been working there, guiding the locals in ways to
improve their land ...
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| Angelina with some of her honey |
… the farmers are able to farm and market their crops, there
are other benefits – paying internships, the women folk are involved, harvesting the honey, making candles
and lip balm … all bringing in much needed cash into the local community.
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| Augustine and his team of farmers |
Also
he gives further detail how the mechanics of the whole came about … a fascinating
read.
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| Gathering honey for the community and to sell on |
This talk covered passions of mine – Africa, conservation, working
with and helping local communities (keeping the villages involved, including
the tribal chief), feeding the local population, providing other work, and
giving them a place in the world that they can all be proud of: evidenced by
all the recognition that the Project is receiving.
Those flimsy wires I mentioned … in Mozambique, the Wildlife
volunteers advised they could not use wire … as the poachers would have stolen
it by the next day … so they strip tyres down and weave the strips into ‘threads’
to connect the hanging beehives.
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Gathering the grass into sheaves to use as roofs
over the beehive swings |
The fences do not need many beehive boxes along their course …
and by trial and error they’ve reduced the quantity so they swing efficiently
which see the elephants off, once the buzzing starts!
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| Hive boxes ready for the community to install |
It was a fascinating talk by, Dr Lucy King, a lady who is
totally passionate about her work …
This is Augustine’s blog post – where he explains all - much
better than I do … and you get the added benefit of more photos. If I was doing more … you’d have to watch a video of
me waving my arms around, pointing aimlessly at some very basic stick drawings!
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| Long line of honey jars .... one of the value added products |
One other thing the Project does that may be relatively
unusual in today’s world … is that they are happy to share their knowledge for
free … so please visit and enjoy.
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My god-daughter made a baked bean cake of the Heinz 57
variety for her father's 57th ... I just loved it - I didn't get to
eat any - but the photo is good to go?!
Happy Birthday tomorrow Lenny - it is all 'sweet' ...
but the baked beans look so real. |
Lenny - have a very happy week taking things slowly and just enjoying the hugs and love you will be getting from all your amazing friends ... with much love from GrandBlogMom xoxoxoxo
PS - I'm away in the West Country for ten days or so ... so forgive the shortage of acknowledgements ...
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories
