How Bees Deter Elephants: Beehive Trials with Forest Elephants

In Africa, crops are often sources of conflict between humans and wildlife.  Wildlife damage to crops can drastically reduce income, impoverishing the already impoverished.

In this context, crop-raiding animals like elephants quickly become “problem animals”.  To deter elephants from raiding crops beehives have been successfully employed in Africa and in Sri Lanka.

The Elephants and Bees Project is an innovative study using an in-depth understanding of elephant behavior to reduce damage from crop-raiding elephants using their instinctive avoidance of African honey bees.

The project explores the use of novel Beehive Fences as a natural elephant deterrent creating a social and economic boost to poverty-stricken rural communities through pollination services and the sustainable harvesting of “Elephant-Friendly Honey”.

I wish society would look for more solutions like this that are truely a benefit for all parties involved! Read More Here