New study confirms beehive fences are highly effective in reducing
human-elephant conflict
University of Oxford
October 30, 2024
See link
https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2024-10-30-new-study-confirms-beehive-fences-are-highly-effective-reducing-human-elephant
for photos.
A ground-breaking, nine-year study has revealed that elephants approaching
small-scale farms in Kenya avoid beehive fences housing live honey bees up
to 86% of the time during peak crop seasons, helping to reduce
human-elephant conflict for local farmers and boost income. The findings,
published in the journal Conservation Science and Practice, offer promising
insights into using nature-based solutions to protect both livelihoods and
wildlife.
The research was conducted as a collaboration between the University of
Oxford, the research charity Save the Elephants (STE) the Wildlife Research
and Training Institute (WRTI), and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
Kenya is facing rapid human population growth, with a 59.4% increase
between 2000 and 2020, which has led to the shrinking of elephant habitats
as human settlements and infrastructure expand. Finding sustainable ways
for people and elephants to coexist is becoming an urgent challenge.
Beehive fences, introduced in 2007 by STE and KWS, in partnership with the
University of Oxford, offer an innovative approach. These fences consist of
a series of live beehives strung together between posts, creating a
physical, auditory, and olfactory deterrent to elephants. The elephants’
natural fear of being stung keeps them away, while the fences also benefit
farmers by providing pollination services and generating income through
honey and wax production.
The study monitored 26 farms protected by beehive fences in two villages
near Tsavo East National Park, and analysed nearly 4,000 incidents of
elephant approaches. Elephants roam freely in and out of the park
throughout the year as they look for mates, food, and water, but can be
attracted by the smell and nutritional richness of agricultural crops.
During six peak crop-growing seasons (November to January 2014-2020), 3,027
elephants approached the farms and the beehive fences successfully deterred
an annual average of 86.3% of elephants from raiding crops. Across all
seasons and the entire study period, including a drought, the fences
deterred an annual average of 76% of elephants.
However, challenges such as drought—which reduced hive occupation by 75%
during 2017 —negatively impacted honey production and profits both during
the drought and for three years after. Despite this climatic shock, the 365
beehives used in the study produced one ton of honey, sold for $2,250.
Dr Lucy King (Department of Biology, University of Oxford and Save the
Elephants), who led the study, highlighted the effectiveness of beehive
fences but warned of future risks. ‘Beehive fences are very effective at
reducing up to 86.3% of elephant raids when the crops in the farms are at
their most attractive, but our results also warn that increased habitat
disturbance or more frequent droughts could reduce the effectiveness of
this nature-based coexistence method.’
Dr Patrick Omondi, Director of the Wildlife Research and Training
Institute, emphasised the importance of continued research and funding for
sustainable solutions. ‘Kenya is facing increasing challenges with
human-elephant conflict, and solutions like beehive fences empower
communities to manage their own farm protection. We need more research and
support for nature-based solutions to help our communities live better
alongside wildlife.’
Previous research by the University of Oxford, Save the Elephants, and KWS
in partnership with bioacoustician scientists from Disney's Animal Kingdom®
has shown that elephants respond strongly to bees, running away from
disturbed bee sounds and exhibiting behaviours such as head-shaking,
dusting, and rumbling to warn others. While elephants’ thick skin usually
protects them, disturbed honey bees target sensitive areas like the eyes,
mouth, and trunk, where their stings cause discomfort.
This natural fear of bees has been harnessed as a practical tool to keep
elephants away from farms, helping to promote coexistence between humans
and wildlife. To date over 14,000 beehives have been hung as elephant
deterrents in 97 sites across Africa and Asia.
The study ‘Impact of drought and development on the effectiveness of
beehive fences as elephant deterrents over nine years in Kenya’ has been
published in Conservation Science and Practice.
https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2024-10-30-new-study-confirms-beehive-fences-are-highly-effective-reducing-human-elephant
New study confirms beehive fences are highly effective in reducing
human-elephant conflict
University of Oxford
October 30, 2024
See link
<https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2024-10-30-new-study-confirms-beehive-fences-are-highly-effective-reducing-human-elephant>
for photos.
A ground-breaking, nine-year study has revealed that elephants approaching
small-scale farms in Kenya avoid beehive fences housing live honey bees up
to 86% of the time during peak crop seasons, helping to reduce
human-elephant conflict for local farmers and boost income. The findings,
published in the journal Conservation Science and Practice, offer promising
insights into using nature-based solutions to protect both livelihoods and
wildlife.
The research was conducted as a collaboration between the University of
Oxford, the research charity Save the Elephants (STE) the Wildlife Research
and Training Institute (WRTI), and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
Kenya is facing rapid human population growth, with a 59.4% increase
between 2000 and 2020, which has led to the shrinking of elephant habitats
as human settlements and infrastructure expand. Finding sustainable ways
for people and elephants to coexist is becoming an urgent challenge.
Beehive fences, introduced in 2007 by STE and KWS, in partnership with the
University of Oxford, offer an innovative approach. These fences consist of
a series of live beehives strung together between posts, creating a
physical, auditory, and olfactory deterrent to elephants. The elephants’
natural fear of being stung keeps them away, while the fences also benefit
farmers by providing pollination services and generating income through
honey and wax production.
The study monitored 26 farms protected by beehive fences in two villages
near Tsavo East National Park, and analysed nearly 4,000 incidents of
elephant approaches. Elephants roam freely in and out of the park
throughout the year as they look for mates, food, and water, but can be
attracted by the smell and nutritional richness of agricultural crops.
During six peak crop-growing seasons (November to January 2014-2020), 3,027
elephants approached the farms and the beehive fences successfully deterred
an annual average of 86.3% of elephants from raiding crops. Across all
seasons and the entire study period, including a drought, the fences
deterred an annual average of 76% of elephants.
However, challenges such as drought—which reduced hive occupation by 75%
during 2017 —negatively impacted honey production and profits both during
the drought and for three years after. Despite this climatic shock, the 365
beehives used in the study produced one ton of honey, sold for $2,250.
Dr Lucy King (Department of Biology, University of Oxford and Save the
Elephants), who led the study, highlighted the effectiveness of beehive
fences but warned of future risks. ‘Beehive fences are very effective at
reducing up to 86.3% of elephant raids when the crops in the farms are at
their most attractive, but our results also warn that increased habitat
disturbance or more frequent droughts could reduce the effectiveness of
this nature-based coexistence method.’
Dr Patrick Omondi, Director of the Wildlife Research and Training
Institute, emphasised the importance of continued research and funding for
sustainable solutions. ‘Kenya is facing increasing challenges with
human-elephant conflict, and solutions like beehive fences empower
communities to manage their own farm protection. We need more research and
support for nature-based solutions to help our communities live better
alongside wildlife.’
Previous research by the University of Oxford, Save the Elephants, and KWS
in partnership with bioacoustician scientists from Disney's Animal Kingdom®
has shown that elephants respond strongly to bees, running away from
disturbed bee sounds and exhibiting behaviours such as head-shaking,
dusting, and rumbling to warn others. While elephants’ thick skin usually
protects them, disturbed honey bees target sensitive areas like the eyes,
mouth, and trunk, where their stings cause discomfort.
This natural fear of bees has been harnessed as a practical tool to keep
elephants away from farms, helping to promote coexistence between humans
and wildlife. To date over 14,000 beehives have been hung as elephant
deterrents in 97 sites across Africa and Asia.
The study ‘Impact of drought and development on the effectiveness of
beehive fences as elephant deterrents over nine years in Kenya’ has been
published in Conservation Science and Practice.
https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2024-10-30-new-study-confirms-beehive-fences-are-highly-effective-reducing-human-elephant