Working to Solve Human-Elephant Conflict
The latest series of measures to prevent elephants from entering fields and trampling the crops of local villagers was confirmed a success on 20 December, when the ‘experimental’ field in Bomassa village was harvested. Figures showed that 81% of the surface area of the field was harvested, with only 19% damaged by elephants; in total, 1,156 kg of manioc was collected and distributed amongst those local families that had contributed to the success of the experiment. The experiment was implemented by socio-economic researchers at the WCS-Congo Nouabalé-Ndoki Project.
The field was protected by a system of active barriers to prevent elephants from entering and trampling the crop, as pioneered by Dr Loki Osbourne in Zimbabwe. The level of success is higher than that attained in previous years, and the barriers will now be improved before the field is replanted for the 2007 growing season. In addition to the manioc which was planted as the primary crop, 33 kg of piment pepper was harvested from the protective belt of plants which surrounded the field.