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In April 2002 and in response to a request from SRN, WWF-SARPO sent two professionals of the Mid Zambezi Elephant Project (MZEP)/Zimbabwe to a field visit in the Niassa Reserve and surrounding areas. The goal of this visit was to assess the scale of the conflict between the elephants and people in and around Niassa Reserve and advise on methods to reduce this conflict.
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There has been no intensive survey of the level of conflict in the Province or in the Reserve, but rapid appraisals conducted in pilot villages suggest it is a major concern among farmers. The conflict occurs mainly between November and June but dry season conflict has also been noted. According to farmers, elephants eat most crops that are grown in the region and they say it is a significant problem not only in the Reserve but in 9 of the 15 districts of the Niassa Province. Mecula within the Reserve as well as Sanga, Maua and Nipepe, are among the districts experiencing major elephant-conflict and impacts appear to be rising. Because of some considerable political tension around it, elephant-human conflict has become a priority issue and concern for Provincial and District Administration authorities.
Although the major distribution of elephants is within the Reserve, considerable movements occur outside the Reserve. There are elephant movements between Niassa province/reserve and Tanzania (eg. The Selous- Niassa corridor) and it also seems that movements occur between Niassa and the neighbouring provinces of Cabo-Delgado and Nampula, However it is unclear whether some of these are seasonal movements or whether a significant population is resident outside the Reserve boundaries (i.e. some conflict areas are 250 km beyond the Reserve). Nevertheless the perception across the Province is that elephants are emanating from the Reserve and it is the responsibility of those organizations working in the area and interested in elephant conservation to solve the problem.
Within the Reserve the main technique to minimize elephant-human conflict has been large-scale electric fences – which actually cover most of the community concentrations in Mecula district. These appear to have had some success but are costly to maintain (maintenance is paid for by the communities from their dividend on the buffer zone tourism/hunting fees) and therefore difficult to expand to all elephant conflict areas. Outside the Reserve very limited techniques have been tried beyond scare tactics with firearms and a few elephants shot down on PAC (Sanga and Nipepe).
With the goal to reduce the elephant-human conflicts in the Niassa Reserve area and Niassa Province through a package of methods, a collaborative approach and the generation of tangible benefits to affected rural communities, the tasks of the WWF team were led down as follows:
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To make a field assessment, to identify high conflict zones and to determine the level of conflict between elephants and people in the three study villages where WWF is operating. As an immediate output it was identified the need for reduction of elephant-human conflict within targeted areas in Niassa province – Mecula (in the Reserve), Nipepe, Maua and Sanga Districts.
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To demonstrate a package of methods developed by MZEP to add to electric fencing already adopted by SRN. Simultaneously demonstrate the applicability to various low cost trials with possible income generation for the community through the growing of chillis / piri-piri.
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To propose training of staff to implement the project. Basic training and kits for application were provided to both government and the reserve ‘s staff and have been under trial since April in Mecula, Nipepe and Sanga Districts.
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To provide materials to enable some farmers to begin conflict mitigation techniques.
This first initiative should be followed by a project proposal to be implemented in the near future after the identification of the package of methods to reduce human-elephant conflicts that can be effective and feasible to apply in the context of Niassa. The project should include the development of a basic monitoring system and the provision of training in such methods, over 3 main phases:
Phase 1 - Training
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Training in methods of reducing elephant conflict based on an incremental approach and a package of methods - clearing of open spaces between forest and field, noise and olfactory deterrents (bangers, horns, burning of piri-piri with elephant dung, simple string barriers with cow bells, piri-piri soaked cloth or string soaked with piri-piri) and
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Basic training in piri-piri production techniques.
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Introduction and identification of monitoring systems for assessing conflict levels and its related impact.
Phase 2 - Implementation
Implementation and field test of the techniques identified during the phase 1 training course in the targeted areas, by trained staff. They will also develop and test options for the commercialization of piri-piri based on an assessment of the feasibility for commercial chilli production as a livelihood option for the local farmers and of their interest in commercial chilli production.
Phase 3 – Evaluation
Assessment of the project progress, identification of the strengths and the weaknesses and re-design for the next stage.
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