The Elephant Whisperers of Tanzania, Wild Survivors

The story

In the heart of Africa, where elephants roam freely, a profound story unfolds. These majestic creatures are not just mere inhabitants of the land; they are sentient beings, possessing remarkable intellect and deep emotions.

Elephants are also called the mega gardeners of Africa. They have a pivotal role in maintaining vast ecosystems that support a myriad of species, including humans. Yet, their existence is under threat due to poaching for the ivory trade. Tanzania lost 60% of its elephant population, with 64,000 killed during the recent poaching epidemic in 2013-2015. One of the factors enabling poaching gangs to operate on the ground was the issue of human-elephant conflict.

HEC has always been severely underfunded and needed more awareness, stemming from broader problems like habitat loss, degraded farmland, and climate change. Addressing this issue directly could benefit many by stabilizing local economies, enhancing climate resilience, and preserving both elephants and the country's natural heritage by empowering local communities. These communities had long been excluded from conservation decisions, a situation that urgently needed rectifying. Drawn from experience of working with local communities and studying elephant ecology in sub-Saharan Africa in 2007, Francesca Mahoney founded Wild Survivors in 2016, a UK charity, to safeguard not just the future of elephants, but the very essence of Africa's wild spirit; through the leadership and empowerment of Tanzanian communities and conservationists.

Delphina and the Women's Beekeeping Enterprise Ngorongoro Ecosystem. Image courtesy: Wild Survivors

Increasing urbanization contributes to the human-elephant conflict in Tanzania

The landscape is shifting with urbanization, and so too are the dynamics of human-elephant conflict. Critical habitat ranges are being fragmented and lost, threatening the delicate balance of ecosystems. Unlike many countries, Tanzania opts not to fence its national parks and game reserves, allowing migratory species like elephants the freedom of movement crucial to their survival.

However, this freedom comes at a cost. Elephants, spending a significant 80% of their time outside protected areas, now find themselves isolated due to fragmented habitat. Conflict with humans has soared, driven primarily by increased urbanization, infrastructure, and the expansion of agriculture, Tanzania's leading industry. As farmers cultivate upon forest boundaries, elephants, attracted by the sweet smell of nutritious crops, will raid farms, resulting in retaliation and sometimes fatalities on both sides.

This escalating conflict, compounded by habitat loss, poses a dire threat to both elephant populations and human communities, also affecting the conservation efforts to protect them.

NARI Women's Beekeeping Group. Image courtesy: Wild Survivors

Bees to the rescue. Turning challenges into an opportunity for nature and us.

Beehive fences are a humane and eco-friendly way to protect crops from elephants. Elephants avoid foraging in trees that contain bees. So, elephants are repelled from entering and eating crops by hanging beehives on strong fences around farm boundaries. Wild Survivors partnered with the most affected communities living adjacent to protected areas and initially supported 45 farmers on the front line of the elephant conflict. A boundary beehive fence with 221 hives that now reach 5.25km protects crops and guides elephants who avoid the farms and continue onto their migration corridor.

While talking to Restor, Francesca mentions that local communities are key. Their wisdom and knowledge are unbeatable. The solution, co-designed with frontline communities, has empowered women and local farmers with a sustainable approach to overcome these challenges while introducing job opportunities as beekeepers, project Bee Guardians data collectors, and community ambassadors.

The women & bees

That’s the name of their project that has empowered 36 ladies with financial independence in sustainable livelihoods. The group is earning a 210% profit on the sale of honey and organic vegetables, which is reinvested back into their enterprise and a loan facility.

As a community rule, every member in the group has trained three women in their village in beekeeping and permaculture, leading to 108 households adopting organic vegetables and beehives at their homes. This has generated a local demand and market for highly nutritious vegetables, with the women's group now supplying 50% of their village with the produce from their Enterprise Hub.

Hive inspections and honey harvesting by farmers and women beekeeping members. Image courtesy: Wild Survivors

One happy family

The perception of elephants has changed by mitigating elephant conflict and improving safety within the wildlife corridor. They are now tolerated and accepted across this shared landscape. Farmers who saw them as giant pests, and women and children who feared for their lives, are now fully prepared with the training and subsequent empowerment in elephant coexistence, wildlife safety, and the benefits of protecting their natural resources. The project’s honey spot market has connected two key demographics; farmers and women beekeepers, into a profitable circular enterprise that bridges the gap in gender inequality and has created food security and strengthened the local economy. The community is working together and has become ambassadors for the solution, inspiring neighboring villages to follow in their footsteps, and creating an impactful ripple effect on livelihoods and elephant conservation efforts. The project has now expanded, responding to priority conflict zones and addressing sustainable land use with communities around the Ngorongoro Crater, on the boundary of West Serengeti, and across the Rukwa-Katavi ecosystem; an elephant stronghold in south-west Tanzania.

This is Wild Survivors, and this is their story. Image courtesy: Wild Survivors