Five strategies to mitigate human-elephant conflict in the Kasigau wildlife corridor of Kenya

Abstract

Interactions with elephants are increasing throughout the African savannah elephant range as habitat loss and modification and a growing human population continue to bring people and elephants into contact. These interactions can become negative when elephants are tempted into farmland and consume farmers’ crops or destroy water supplies, leading to human-elephant conflict. Each community coping with regular wildlife conflicts faces unique socio-ecological circumstances and constraints. Therefore, understanding the challenges within each system is a crucial step in designing customised management plans and mitigation interventions, adapted to the situation. We used a combination of survey results and participatory group fuzzy logic cognitive maps from six farming communities in south-east Kenya from previous studies, to understand the complex drivers and consequences of conflicts with elephants and how farmers conceptualize these interactions. These data informed the creation of five main strategies for mitigating the impacts of crop-raiding by elephants: deterrent methods, climate-smart agricultural techniques, alternative livelihoods, safety around elephants, and environmental stewardship. We consulted with local experts to design and deliver workshops in the six communities to present potential solutions within the strategies and to provide the content for a take-home manual. Although no single solution has emerged as the ideal way to mitigate these encounters, the workshops demonstrated a variety of approaches that can alleviate the financial and safety concerns of farmers. Future work should include understanding barriers to wider acceptance of such methods and evaluating the efficacy of multifaceted approaches. Creating a customised curriculum for workshops informed by social science data can provide vital information for local people who want to co-exist alongside elephants and other wildlife.

Additional keywords: community-based conservation, conservation planning, conservation social science, human-wildlife co-existence