Ngamiland Jumbos Afraid Of Chillies

KHAYALETHU MPOFU
Correspondent | Friday March 12, 2010 00:00

To tackle the problem, the government of Botswana has launched an initiative aimed at combating this menacing problem of human/elephant conflict called the Elephant Chilli-pepper Project that helps farmers combat elephants without killing them.

Unopa Jotia, the senior wildlife officer of the Problem Animal Control Unit at the Ministry of Environment Wildlife and Tourism explains:

'It's a project and it was in its infancy when I was in Seronga. It was mooted in 2005 to help farmers prevent crop raiding elephants from plundering their crops.'

The project started in Botswana in 2007 with its first pilot project launched in the Northern and Chobe districts.

Before running the project in Botswana in the form of a joint pilot project in different places in the Ngamiland District, farmers were using old prevent methods. Thihlipe Dithrude, for example, used to resort to drumming or making loud noises that only worked for a while.

According to www.elephantpepper.com the elephant Chilli-pepper project started when an Australian serial entrepreneur Michael Gravina and an American scientist Dr Loki Osborne met in a local caf in Harare, Zimbabwe, and started to talk about human/elephant conflict that was starting to steadily grow in Africa. Soon they met again and devised low cost but effective ways to deter elephants from raiding farming land, and the solution came in the form of a small red looking chilli called Tabasco (Capsicum frutescens) that was used to scare away elephants.

The project was then tested in Zimbabwe and Zambia by different farmers and through constant application and different adaptations of the elephant chilli-pepper trials it was perfected. Unopa realised this when working in the Northern District, which has a big elephant population. 'We emulated the project from both Zimbabwe and Zambia which had some success with the project, and I thought it would be good if could to invite them so that they can run a course for us in Kasane and Maun.'

After the workshops held in the Ngamiland District the project was then implemented by Ministry of Wildlife and Tourism to a few farmers in the form of CBPAC Community Based Problem Animal Control methods which is a mixture of many different techniques. The first technique is Passive PCA, which involves creating a perimeter using simple fencing with belled ropes soaked in chili and engine oil. The passive technique is creating a buffer zone between the wilderness and the farm in the form of cleared land. The purpose of the passive PAC is to alert to elephants that are about to raid his/her farm of which is done a few months before the cropping season.

The next method is called active control method Active PAC which is used to scare elephants when they are trespassing on the farmer's land and it is used to scare away elephants by using the following techniques: Acoustic deterrent like playing back elephant warning cries and chemical compound techniques which entail using chilli-pepper fumes to irritate the elephants trunk which has a more powerful sense of smell than humans.CBPAC Methodology

Simple fencing, made from both bush poles and fibre ropes can be placed at the edge of the fields. The fencing will not be strong enough to stop elephants from entering the fields, but things can be added to the fence to make it less attractive to the elephants.

Alarm systems, such as bells, which can be hung from the fence. When the elephants try to break the fence the alarm bells will sound and alert the farmer to the problem.

A buffer zone of cleared vegetation around the fence will make sure that the fence is visible and will enable the farmer to see the elephant at the edge of the fields.

Chilli grease, Chili pepper should be ground to fine powder and mixed with grease. This can be smeared on bits of cloth and hung on the fence, and also smeared upon the string itself. The chilli will deter the elephants from touching the fence. If no grease is available then palm oil residue, or used car oil will work just as well.Chilli bricks, Chilli powder can