Beehive fences as effective deterrents for crop-raiding elephants: Field trials in northern Kenya

African Journal of Ecology

Volumn 49, Issue 4, 2011, Pages 431-439

  King, Lucy E ^a,b   Douglas Hamilton, Iain ^a,b   Vollrath, Fritz ^a,b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD   (United Kingdom)

^b SAVE THE ELEPHANTS   (Kenya)

Author keywords

African elephants; Beehive fences; Beekeeping; Crop raiding; Farm based deterrents; Human elephant conflict

Indexed keywords

AGRICULTURAL LAND; APICULTURE; CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT; CROP DAMAGE; CROP PRODUCTION; ELEPHANT; FARM SIZE; FARMERS ATTITUDE; HONEY; INDIGENOUS POPULATION; NATURE-SOCIETY RELATIONS; POPULATION GROWTH; RURAL ECONOMY; WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT;

KENYA;

ELEPHANTIDAE; LOXODONTA;

EID: 81855176232     PISSN: 01416707     EISSN: 13652028     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2028.2011.01275.x     Document Type: Article

References (33)

1. Adams, W.M. & Hulme, D. (2001) If community conservation is the answer in Africa, what is the question? Oryx 35, 193-200.
2. Balfour, D., Dublin, H.T., Fennessey, J., Gibson, D., Niskanen, L. & Whyte, I.J. (2007) Review of Options for Managing the Impacts of Locally Overabundant African Elephants. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.
3. Douglas-Hamilton, I., Krink, T. & Vollrath, F. (2005) Movement and corridors of African elephants in relation to protected areas. Naturwissenschaften 92, 158-163.
4. Douglas-Hamilton, I., Wittemyer, G. & Ihwagi, F. (2010) Levels of illegal killing of elephants in the Laikipia-Samburu MIKE site. CITES document CoP15 Inf.40 (Rev.1).
5. Dyer, F.C. (1985) Nocturnal orientation by the Asian honey bee, Apis dorsata. Anim. Behav., 33, 769-774.
6. Fletcher, D.J.C. (1978) The African bee, Apis mellifera adansonii, in Africa. Annu. Rev. Entomol., 23, 151-171.
7. Graham, M.D. & Ochieng, T. (2008) Uptake and performance of farm-based measures for reducing crop raiding by elephants Loxodonta africana among smallholder farms in Laikipia District, Kenya. Oryx 42, 76-82.
8. Hedges, S. & Gunaryadi, D. (2009) Reducing human-elephant conflict: do chillies help deter elephants from entering crop fields? Oryx 44, 139-146.
9. Hoare, R. (1995) Options for the control of elephants in conflict with people. Pachyderm 19, 54-63.
10. Hoare, R. (2000) African elephants and humans in conflict: the outlook for coexistence. Oryx 34, 34-38.
11. Hoare, R.E. (2003) Fencing and other barriers against problem elephants. AfESG Technical Brief Series. Available at:
12. Hooper, T. (1997) Guide to Bees and Honey, 4th edn. Marston House Publishers, UK.
13. Jones, R. (1999) Beekeeping as a Business. International Bee Research Association, Published by Commonwealth Secretariat, London.
14. Kaiser, W. (1988) Busy bees need rest too. Behavioural and electromyographical sleep signs in honey bees. J. Comp. Physiol. A. 163, 565-584.
15. King, L.E. (2010) The interaction between the African elephant (Loxodonta africana africana) and the African honey bee (Apis mellifera scutellata) and its potential application as an elephant deterrent. DPhil thesis, University of Oxford, UK.
16. King, L.E., Douglas-Hamilton, I. & Vollrath, F. (2007) African elephants run from the sound of disturbed bees. Curr. Biol. 17, R832-R833.
17. King, L.E., Lawrence, A., Douglas-Hamilton, I. & Vollrath, F. (2009) Beehive fence deters crop-raiding elephants. Afr. J. Ecol. 47, 131-137.
18. King, L.E., Soltis, J., Douglas-Hamilton, I., Savage, A. & Vollrath, F. (2010) Bee threat elicits alarm call in African Elephants. PLoS ONE 5, e10346. Doi:.
19. Kioko, J., Muruthi, P., Omondi, P. & Chiyo, P. (2008) The performance of electric fences as elephant barriers in Amboseli, Kenya. S. Afr. J. Wild. Res. 38, 52-58.
20. Newmark, W.D., Manyanza, D., Gamassa, D.-G.M. & Sariko, H.I. (1994) The conflict between wildlife and local people living adjacent to protected areas in Tanzania: human density as a predictor. Conserv. Biol. 8, 249-255.
21. Okello, M.M. (2005) Land use changes and human-wildlife conflicts in the Amboseli Area, Kenya. Hum. Dimens. Wildl. 10, 19-28.
22. Okello, M.M. & D'Amour, D.E. (2008) Agricultural expansion within Kimana electric fences and implications for natural resource conservation around Amboseli National Park, Kenya. J. Arid Environ. 72, 2179-2192.
23. Okello, M.M., Wishitemi, B.E. & Lagat, B. (2005) Tourism potential and achievement of protected areas in Kenya: criteria and prioritization. Tour. Anal. 10, 151-164.
24. Omondi, P., Bitok, E. & Kagiri, J. (2004) Managing human-elephant conflicts: the Kenyan experience. Pachyderm 36, 80-86.
25. Osborn, F.V. (2002) Capsicum oleoresin as an elephant repellent: field trials in the communal lands of Zimbabwe. J. Wild. Manage. 66, 674-677.
26. Osborn, F.V. & Parker, G. (2003) Towards an integrated approach for reducing the conflict between elephants and people: a review of current research. Oryx 37, 80-84.
27. Sitati, N.W. (2003) Human-Elephant Conflict in Transmara District adjacent to Masai Mara National Reserve. PhD thesis, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.
28. Sitati, N.W. & Walpole, M.J. (2006) Assessing farm-based measures for mitigating human-elephant conflict in Transmara District, Kenya. Oryx 40, 279-286.
29. Sitati, N.W., Walpole, M.J. & Leader-Williams, N. (2005) Factors affecting susceptibility of farms to crop raiding by African elephants: using a predictive model to mitigate conflict. J. Appl. Ecol. 42, 1175-1182.
30. Thouless, C.R., Georgiadis, N. & Olwero, N. (2002) A Wildlife Fencing Strategy for Laikipia. Unpublished Report. Laikipia Wildlife Forum, Nanyuki, Kenya.
31. Thouless, C.R. & Sakwa, J. (1995) Shocking elephants: fences and crop raiders in Laikipia District, Kenya. Biol. Conserv. 72, 99-107.
32. Vollrath, F. & Douglas-Hamilton, I. (2002) African bees to control African elephants. Naturwissenschaften 89, 508-511.
33. Walpole, M., Sitati, N., Stewart-Cox, B., Niskanen, L. & Stephenson, P.J. (2006) Mitigating human-elephant conflict in Africa: a lesson-learning and network development meeting. Pachyderm 41, 95-99.