Elephants and Bees

Can you spot elephants in the background?

No, neither did we! But the bush you see in the background is in the Murchison Falls gamepark, and the big problem for Kigaragara village farmers is that the elephants come from that bush and destroy livelihoods as they eat and trample the crops from entire fields. Food for the year is wiped out in one night. This village community group have asked us to help them learn how to become beekeepers and have shown brilliant initiative to get this project started! The plan will be to establish a "bee-fence" (hives hanging on a wire that stretches across the length of the fields along the park border) that will not only bring in valuable honey, but will keep the elephants away. 

Everyone is looking to the left corner of the edge of the field,
the usual point of entry for the elephants.

Irene (left) farms this plot of land at the elephant's entrance

Irene's home

I will write more about this later (as I find it all rather fascinating!) but basically, elephants are terrified of bees and this project will protect the farms from mass destruction and the elephants from poisoning and shooting. It will generate income through honey and value-added products and be integrated with village savings and loans schemes and conservation agriculture. Win-win! 

During our meeting with the village group, the thunder rumbled and the heavens opened! Everyone dashed for shelter. After about 10 minutes, the sun was back out and we continued! And see the video to see how the meeting ended! 

A quick tourist photo with Joshua at the park gate!