Part I: Development of a new Human-Elephant Coexistence Toolbox for communities living with African savannah elephants (Loxodonta Africana)

Abstract

This field note is to invite our colleagues to peer review and test a new illustrated Human-Elephant Coexistence (HEC) Toolbox that is being developed in Kenya by Save the Elephants (STE) under the organizations’ mission to secure a future for elephants and to develop a tolerant relationship between humans and elephants. Through presenting the first edition here (Fig. 1), we are inviting our elephant colleagues and community leaders from across the African savannah elephant range States to provide feedback, or any corrections, on the tools, as well as sharing content for additional methods not yet represented. By publishing our process and methods for how we are compiling this encyclopaedia of HEC tools and this novel approach to the peer review process, we hope to provide a transparent process to gauging the validity of the methods presented. This is particularly important because some of the technical advice around the conflict reduction tools presented are not published formally in the scientific literature.