As Kenya’s human population rapidly grows, the country’s elephants are coming under immense pressure from habitat loss. Expanding towns, farms and infrastructure are squeezing them into smaller spaces, fueling human-elephant conflict. Blocked migratory corridors and extreme weather, like the country’s recent drought, make things worse. Finding sustainable ways for people and elephants to coexist is now an urgent challenge.
But there’s hope—one surprising solution lies in bees. Yes, tiny honeybees are helping keep massive elephants safe.
Jones Mwakima’s farm in Kajire, Tsavo, southern Kenya © Jane Wynyard/Save the Elephants
In Kajire village, near Kenya’s Tsavo East National Park, farmer Jones Mwakima knows this firsthand. For the past seven years, honeybees have not only protected his crops from raiding elephants but also provided him with income and a renewed perspective on coexistence.
For years, farmers like Mwakima in areas bordering the park had been counting losses due to elephant raids on their farms. Their five-tonne neighbours would trample through their farms, devour their crops and devastate their livelihoods.
With increasingly erratic weather patterns and four consecutive droughts, Mwakima was on the verge of abandoning the family farm—a property that had been in his family for generations. Though he had once dreamed of attending university, financial constraints had forced him into farming. Now, he was faced with a terrible decision.
A beehive fence in a sunflower field in Tsavo, southern Kenya © Jasper Scofield/Save the Elephants
It was then that Save the Elephants (STE) approached him with an alternative: a practical, peaceful solution to coexist with the elephants. That solution was beehive fences. 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 generating income through honey and wax production.
With STE’s support, the father of four erected 20 hives around the borders of his farm within which he was able to grow and harvest green grams, sorghum, cassava and other drought-resistant crops.
“Thanks to the beehive fences, I’ve been able to harvest my crops before the elephants can wipe them out,” says Mwakima. “I’ve also been able to put my children through school and university and provide a living for my family. It’s changed my life.”
A colony of bees outside a beehive © Naiya Raja/Save the Elephants
Today, beehive fences are a lifeline for many farmers across Africa whose lives have been impacted by crop-raiding elephants. In the Sagalla region alone, 47 farmers have adopted this deterrent method.
A recent nine-year study by Save the Elephants in partnership with Wildlife Research and Training Institute, Kenya Wildlife Service and the University of Oxford, found that during peak crop seasons, elephants avoided beehive fences with live bees up to 86% of the time. Published in Conservation Science and Practice, the study highlights the potential of nature-based solutions to protect both livelihoods and wildlife.
Honey harvesting from a beehive fence in a farm in Kajire village in Tsavo © Meha Kumar/Save the Elephants
While effective, beehive fences require committed maintenance and a passion for beekeeping to keep colonies thriving and produce enough elephant-friendly honey to sustain them. They’re not suitable for every farmer or conflict zone, but their success—adopted at 90 sites across 23 countries in Africa and Asia—has inspired Save the Elephants to explore other innovative tools for fostering coexistence between people and elephants.
In 2022, STE launched the Human-Elephant Coexistence (HEC) Toolbox, a collection of over 80 non-lethal deterrents to help communities protect lives and livelihoods, and keep elephants safe. The Toolbox, shared widely across Africa, is paired with workshops in Kenya to train local leaders in peaceful conflict management with elephants.
STE’s Human-Elephant Coexistence Toolbox © Save the Elephants
Mwakima has adopted eight methods from the Toolbox on his farm, including his homemade “Mwakima Noise Cannon,” a device made from old tin cans, wood and nails that creates a harsh screeching sound which elephants find unpleasant and run away from. It’s been so effective it’s featured in the Toolbox manual. Today, Mwakima not only keeps his farm safe but also trains others in coexistence, becoming one of STE’s most passionate advocates.
“STE has been helpful to the community and to me as they have taught us how to do many things to keep our farms safe, including beekeeping, poultry keeping and alternative crops,” says Mwakima. “They have also enabled us to learn more about the elephants because without this knowledge we wouldn’t be able to protect our farms, so we are learning a lot. Today, the elephants are our neighbours, not our enemies.”
And to think it all started with the humble honeybee.
Article by Jane Wynyard www.savetheelephants.org
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