Farmers in Uganda have invented an innovative, non-lethal repellent that is helping Zimbabwean farmers safely keep elephants out of their fields and away from their crops.
Image Credit: Pixahive.com/Balagopal
Farmers in Uganda have invented an innovative, non-lethal repellent
that is helping Zimbabwean farmers safely keep elephants out of
their fields and away from their crops.
The mixture contains chili, garlic, ginger, cow or elephant dung,
and a few other ingredients. It’s the first deterrent that is
cost-effective, easily grown, and that the elephants have not yet
outsmarted.
“The strong smell is produced after three weeks of fermentation,”
Tikobane Trust Founder Ndlelende Ncube told Anadolu Agency.
Farmers in Zimbabwean villages where the repellent was tested said
they had far fewer unwanted encounters with elephants.
“I’m happy this concoction is working,” local farmer Flora Mangwana
told Anadolu Agency. “I’ve seen some changes compared to other years
that I’ve lived here.”
In places where people and pachyderms live in close proximity to one
another, there are ongoing problems with elephants entering fields
and trampling on crops, including maize, a dietary staple in
Zimbabwe. Moreover, interactions between farmers and elephants often
result in injury and death.
Maz Robertson, a representative with WildAid-East Africa, and his
group are developing a business model that aims to give farmers
elsewhere access to the deterrent and so reduce conflicts between
humans and elephants. The current goal is to make the substance
widely available while keeping costs low.
“Some of the ingredients need money, hence why we have also begun
training local villagers to start planting ginger, garlic, and other
herbs in their gardens,” Robertson told Anadolu Agency. “Hopefully,
this will allow us to have year-long supplies.”
This new repellent is a potentially groundbreaking way to safely and
affordably maintain boundaries and local food production without
harming elephants.