A nationwide survey of crop-raiding by elephants and other species in Gabon

Abstract

Gabon harbours one of the largest elephant populations in Africa, and since subsistence agriculture is practised near the forest edges crop raiding by elephants as well as other wild animal species is common. A countrywide questionnaire survey ascertained elephant crop raiding occurred in all provinces, but was highest in the three central provinces of Ogooue Maritime, Moyen-Ogooue and Ogooue-Ivindo. Of the 132 cases of animal crop raiding investigated 80% involved elephants only while 11% were attributed to elephants combined with other species. Bananas appear to be the crop most susceptible to damage, elephants tend to break the stem and eat the inner core and young leaves. Maize tended to be trampled rather than eaten. Sweet manioc seemed to be eaten whereas bitter manioc was more often trampled. Estimating the number of animals involved is not easy, the same individuals were implicated in a number of incidents: one elephant was implicated in 36 of 57 incidents. The present deterrent is control shooting, but since the shooting normally occurs well after the incident and the law requires that the elephant be shoot within five kilometres of a village the original culprit(s) may not be taken.