Ecology of crop raiding elephants

Abstract

This three year monitoring study examined the ecology of bull elephants which raid crops in the area adjacent to Sengwa Wildlife Research Area (SWRA). The multi-disciplinary approach included information on human settlement patterns and socio-economic impacts of crop loss in addition to data on the ecology of elephants which cause crop damage. Two general conclusions were: crop raiding is triggered by a decline in the quality of wild grasses inside SWRA rather than the conditions of agricultural crops outside it; and, elephant feed on wild browse in the communal areas because fire and elephants have reduced the availability of preferred tree species within SWRA. A capsicum-based repellent was found to be a potentially effective alternative to traditional deterrents.