Nwoya | In the fertile farmlands bordering Uganda’s iconic Murchison Falls and the expansive Kidepo Valley, a quiet revolution is unfolding, with a pungent but promising solution transforming the relationship between farmers and elephants.
As human activities have a significant impact on animal habitats around the world, wildlife and humans are increasingly competing and conflicting over land and resources.
Farmers and conservationists living near Uganda’s parks, on the other hand, are rewriting the story of human-wildlife conflict with the pungent sting of chili-infused repellents and the gentle hum of beehives, rather than fences or firearms. As a result, these community-led strategies not only protect crops, but also foster a new era of coexistence between humans and elephants.
Human-wildlife conflict is a growing concern in Uganda, particularly in areas near national parks. Elephants frequently enter neighboring farmlands in Murchison Falls, and Kidepo Valley in the northeast, causing significant crop damage. This not only threatens farmers’ livelihoods, but also leads to retaliatory elephant killings, escalating the conflict.
Currently, traditional elephant deterrent methods such as electric fences and trenches have proven to be costly and often ineffective in some areas, prompting the search for more sustainable and affordable alternatives.
Murchison Falls and Kidepo Valley are biodiversity hotspots that attract tourists while also supporting ecosystems. Their proximity to human settlement, however, frequently results in conflict with elephants, which are particularly notorious for raiding crops, causing significant economic losses for farmers.
This, however, has left communities in districts such as Kiryandongo, Nwoya, Oyam, and Kitgum, among others, grappling with the devastation caused by these majestic yet destructive creatures.
John Michael Acire, a farmer in Nwoya district, told tndNews that physical barriers such as electric fences and trenches had previously been effective but costly to erect and maintain.
According to Acire, a variety of methods have been tried to keep elephants away from crops and villages from acoustic deterrents such as banging pots and pans to visual tools such as fire and lights but the elephants can eventually become habituated to these threats.
“The highly intelligent mammals are often able to find weaknesses in fences to get through or around them but since they have an excellent sense of smell and possess nearly 2000 olfactory receptors-five times more than humans, they easily get repelled by the smelly repellent,” Acire said.
Acire further stated that this has led to an increased interest in olfactory methods of keeping them away from human farms and settlement with chili pepper which has shown to irritate elephants’ noses and eyes.
Smelly repellents: A natural deterrent
Communities have now discovered the “smelly elephant repellent,” an organic concoction designed to deter elephants from encroaching on farmlands. Comprising locally sourced ingredients like chili peppers, garlic, ginger, and animal dung; this mixture emits a foul odor that elephants find repulsive.
“When applied to crops or hung in bottles along fences, the repellent creates an olfactory barrier that elephants instinctively avoid,” Acire revealed.
Initially formulated by Henry Latigo, a lecturer and farmer in Northern Uganda, it is a foul-smelling organic liquid designed to deter mammals using a combination of smell and taste.
According to the formulator, the repellent is a mixture of common farm ingredients, including chili, garlic, ginger, neem leaves, cooking oil, dung, and rotten eggs that are widely grown or available in East Africa.
Research has shown that this approach can be highly effective. In Uganda, during a four-season study, 82% of elephants were deterred from raiding crops when exposed to the repellent and the method is not only cost-effective but also environmentally friendly, utilizing readily available materials and reducing the need for chemical interventions.
After preparation of the solution, the mixture is left to mature for a strong, unpleasant odor to develop and the first trials looking at the smelly repellent’s efficacy on elephants were conducted in Uganda in 2017.
The study area was Aswa-Lolim wildlife reserve where elephants freely roamed its range. It (the area) was locally named, (“Barlyec”/’lyec’ – meaning ‘elephants and ‘bar’ or a place where they roam in the local language, Acholi).
Furthermore, the reserve was degazetted in 1972 and remained mostly inhabitable until recently, thanks to the civil unrest that plagued northern Uganda from 1987 to the end of the war.
From 2006, people began to resettle the area and farming communities now inhabit the land up to the edge of the highway and the landscape on the edge of the park has become fragmented into commercial farms, smallholder farms, pine plantations, tracts of deforested grassland, and remnants of scrub bush, grassland and woodland.
Babu Bakhit Olanya, a retired Chief Warden of Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) told tndNews that the presence of crops on the other side of the unfenced road encourages elephants to cross the highway of Murchison Falls National Park. He added that crop raiding is an almost daily occurrence during crop harvesting seasons, of which there are two in this region.
“The first growing season runs from February to July, with maize, cassava, groundnuts, beans, and soya beans primarily grown and the second season runs from July to November/December with rice, simsim, maize, groundnuts, beans, soya beans as the main crops,” Olanya said.
In a bid to promote the innovation, WildAid team in Uganda has been collaborating with communities affected by elephant crop-raiding to assess the repellent’s effectiveness by working with a group of 30 farmers near Murchison Falls National Park, over a period of two years.
“We have been collecting data before and after repellent use to measure changes to crop raid frequency, as well as the repellent’s impact on farmers’ livelihoods and tracked community attitudes towards elephant conservation through surveys,” WildAid staff revealed.
Across elephant range countries that span two continents, people are working tirelessly to reduce the frequency and magnitude of elephant crop-raiding and numerous methods have been devised and trailed including fences of beehives to chase away elephants, planting chili around farms (chili irritates elephants’ trunks), and flashing lights at night.
For people, often poor rural farmers in marginalized areas of Africa, crop raiding leads to reduced yields and there is always less food to feed their families or less income to pay for necessities such as healthcare, or school fees.
And for elephants, it can lead to unfavorable attitudes amongst the people who share their ranges with; on both sides, these conflicts can lead to deaths.
Fredrick Kiiza, Chief Warden at Murchison Falls National Park noted that Uganda Wildlife Authority has been instrumental in supporting these initiatives through provision of training, resources, and guidance to farmers and helping them integrate the repellent into their daily farming practices.
“This collaborative effort has not only improved crop protection but also strengthened the relationship between communities and conservation authorities,” Kiiza noted.
He further noted that the adoption of these innovative strategies has led to a profound impact on local communities with farmers reporting increased crop yields, reduced losses, and enhanced food security.
Kiiza added: “The sale of honey and other bee products has opened new avenues for income, enabling families to invest in education, healthcare, and other essentials.”
“Farmers are trained in preparing and applying the repellent, ensuring that the solution is both accessible and sustainable. This community-led approach fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility, empowering farmers to take proactive steps in mitigating human-elephant conflict,” Kiiza explained.
Synergy in action: Combining repellents and beehives
While each method has its merits, combining smelly repellents with beehive fences has proven to be particularly effective with the repellent creating an initial deterrent and the beehive fence serving as a secondary line of defense. This approach has significantly reduced the likelihood of elephants raiding crops.
Moreover, the integration of these methods fosters community engagement and empowerment and farmers are trained in the preparation of repellents and the maintenance of beehive fences equipping them with skills that enhance both their agricultural practices and their income-generating opportunities.
Night Zahara, the Madi-Okollo District Tourism Officer told this publication that the benefits of beehive fences are twofold by providing a physical barrier that elephants are reluctant to breach.
“Farmers across the regions of Uganda bordering parks have reported harvesting up to 780 kilograms of honey annually, generating significant income and promoting sustainable livelihoods,” Zahara said.
Additionally, she noted that the reduction in human-elephant conflicts has led to fewer retaliatory killings contributing to the conservation of elephant populations and fostering a more harmonious relationship between humans and wildlife.
According to Zahara, the synergy goes beyond just protection but it also improves livelihoods with farmers less inclined to retaliate against elephants, and conservation goals are being met since the approach aligns with sustainable development, creating harmony between people and wildlife and the benefits extend to biodiversity.
Dr Lucy King, the Coexistence Director for Save the Elephants in her studies revealed that elephants would avoid trees and farms where bees were present and capitalizing on this, communities began installing beehives along the perimeters of their farms connecting them with wire.
“When an elephant tries to push through, it disturbs the hives, releasing an angry swarm, and the spicy scent irritates an elephant’s sensitive trunk making it unpleasant to approach; and when placed alongside a beehive fence, the combination becomes a potent multi-sensory barrier; scent, sound, and sting,” Dr Lucy revealed.
In addition, tndNews has discovered that beekeeping has empowered women and youth in particular – offering entrepreneurial opportunities in areas where formal employment is scarce. NGOs like WildAid have stepped in to train communities in hive maintenance, honey harvesting, and marketing.
Despite its successes, the smelly repellent and beehive face challenges, and the repellent’s effectiveness can wane over time, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall and high temperatures, necessitating regular reapplication and maintenance to maintain its deterrent effects.
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