Safeguarding communities and elephants in conflict areas
The Human-Wildlife Coexistence team has developed and implemented initiatives for preventing human-elephant conflict (HEC). The following initiatives support communities in seven chiefdoms across the Mambwe District.
Rapid Response Unit (RRU)
Launched in October 2021, Zambia’s first human-wildlife conflict Rapid Response Unit (RRU) is on call 24/7 to help de-escalate incidents of severe conflict to support both community and wildlife to peacefully coexist. They swiftly attend to people injured by wildlife, transporting them to hospital for medical care. In 2023, the number of legally killed elephants by wildlife authorities halved as a result of their work, and in 2024 the number of human fatalities due to elephant conflicts reduced by 300%.
Chilli patrollers
A well-established approach to address HEC involves the use of trained chilli patrollers with basic chilli bomber devices, designed to discourage elephants from entering crop fields. These devices launch ping-pong balls filled with a mixture of chilli soaked in petrol and mixed with cooking oil. The combination of the blast sound, the impact on the skin, and the smell of the chilli mixture deters elephants but causes no harm. CSL currently supports 63 chilli patrollers across five Chiefdoms.
Mitigation fences
The Human-Wildlife Coexistence team installs ‘smelly’ and solar fences to help prevent crop damage by elephants. These fences are established along farming blocks in key conflict hotspots and support over 1,000 farmers. The ‘smelly’ fence consists of bottles containing locally available ingredients suspended on barbed wire between fence posts, and solar-powered electric fences are constructed using polywire. Field officers work with farmers to establish and sustain the fences for effective crop protection. Through the provision of practical tools and knowledge, CSL not only addresses the immediate needs of crop protection but also nurtures a sense of ownership and hope within farming communities.
Elephant-safe grain stores
During the dry season, elephants often damage houses while searching for food, posing risks to people during night raids. After harvest, farmers store grain in their homes or traditional mud and stick structures, which makes them susceptible to elephant damage, termites, bacteria, and rodents. To address this, CSL constructs sturdy grain stores using cement and bricks, and the community provides sand and water. These robust grain stores have proven to protect harvests. There are currently 176 grain stores in operation. The Human-Wildlife Coexistence team monitors and maintains these stores, ensuring proper use and addressing issues.
Image credits: Mjose Jozie