Elephants are majestic creatures, and a safari encounter with them often leaves a wonderful lasting memory. For many living in proximity to parks and reserves, however, elephant encounters can be a serious threat to their livelihoods and safety.
Several communities in the vicinity of Maputo National Park are small-scale farmers that grow vegetables and fruits and rear cattle as their main livelihood source. With elephants and other wildlife able to roam freely into these communities, conflict is a very real threat. Elephant herds sometimes wander into crop fields in search of food and can destroy them due to their impactful size and swagger and by raiding them for food. Affected communities understandably seek compensation for losses and resolutions from the park administration; effective solutions can ease people and wildlife into peaceful coexistence.
Previously, Peace Parks Foundation assisted with an elephant translocation to relocate elephants to Zinave National Park that were coming into conflict with local communities surrounding Maputo National Park. But managing human-wildlife conflict requires ongoing creativity and innovation to find the right solution to local conflicts. With support from Peace Parks Foundation, Mozambique’s National Administration for Conservation Areas (ANAC) and a team of local inspectors and residents are continuously working [to find solutions] to reduce human-wildlife conflict through collaboration and knowledge sharing.
One innovative method to repel elephants is the use of ‘chilli bricks’. Containing a chemical called capsaicin, chillies are a natural repellant against elephants, as the chemical irritates their trunks and eyes. In this episode of PeaceParks.TV, Carlos Milaza, a community ranger working in Tchia on the border of Maputo National Park, demonstrates how these bricks are made by combing cow or elephant dung with ground chilli. The spicy ingredients are moulded and, once dry, are distributed to community members. The bricks are then burned, with the smoke repelling the elephants. The deterrent effect of a smouldering brick can last for up to 24 hours.
Elephant-repellent chilli bricks are one method that minimises human-wildlife conflict and can be used alongside other mitigation approaches. Sustainably ensuring communities and wildlife are protected requires dedication and support; this is exactly what Peace Parks is doing by providing technical and financial support to Maputo National Park, which it co-manages with Mozambique’s National Administration for Conservation Areas (ANAC).
Are you familiar with other innovative and creative methods that help reduce human-wildlife conflict? Let us know in the comments below, and subscribe to the PeaceParks.TV newsletter for more inspiring conservation stories from across southern Africa.
