Kenyan farmers use nature for peaceful human-elephant coexistence

Africanews (in English)

Kenyan farmers use nature for peaceful human-elephant coexistence  As elephant populations in Kenya boom, they are increasingly in conflict with the humans that live along their migratory routes. Some farmers are using innovative and safe methods to deter large animals from eating their crops. World Elephant Day is marked around the world today - 12th August.  READ MORE : http://www.africanews.com/2025/08/12/kenyan-farmers-use-nature-for-peaceful-human-elephant-coexistence  Subscribe on our Dailymotion channel and receive all the latest news from the continent.    Africanews is available in English and French.  Website : www.africanews.com  Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/africanews.channel/  Twitter : https://twitter.com/africanews

Transcript

00:00It's the globe marks Wild Elephant Day on August 12th.

00:04The mammal population in Kenya has been booming, but still are increasingly in conflict with humans that live along their migratory routes.

00:12Elephants roam in these mountainous regions of Taita Taveta in Kenya.

00:16As they cross the land, they graze on plants, tripping leaves from trees and bushes along the way.

00:21So some farmers are now using innovative and safe ways to stop the huge animal eating their crops.

00:27Before, we used to plant maize, mung beans, cassava, and pigeon peas.

00:32But now the elephants are increasingly raiding our farms, and some of us can't confront them.

00:39Some are like me. I can't confront them because I'm too old to chase after them.

00:45Therefore, I'm doing sesame farming because the elephants can't eat it because of its scents.

00:52With conservation and anti-poaching efforts gradually allowing elephants to thrive and increase in population,

00:58human-wildlife conflict has soared.

01:01This has been exacerbated by human population growth,

01:04with conservation is now calling for innovative and natural mechanisms for coexistence.

01:08When poaching was eradicated from the world map and considered illegal,

01:14that's when the numbers of elephants started increasing again.

01:17And with that increasing, we found there was a spike in human-elephant conflict

01:21because these elephants, initially maybe they could fear some communities,

01:25but right now they could be roaming anywhere.

01:27So we find one of the major causes of human-elephant conflict is because of human factors.

01:36We find the places or the infrastructure that us as humans, we do develop,

01:41they're the ones which hinder the migratory routes and paths which elephants used to take,

01:45maybe to go for water sources or maybe to look for herbs or some certain kind of trees.

01:50The Savo National Park is a crucial wildlife reserve

01:53and provides sanctuary to some of the largest wild African elephants as well as other animals.

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