Sweet success of beehive fences in Kenya
Creating ‘beehive fences’ to protect crops from elephants is reaping rewards for farmers in Meru, who are harvesting honey to create dual incomes.
(c) Peter Ndung’u
With elephants known to be afraid of bees – wisely so, as the skin around their trunks and eyes is very sensitive to being stung – Born Free has been helping farmers in Meru, Kenya, to protect their crops by building beehive fences.
22 fences, made up of 294 beehives in total, have now been installed by Born Free in the area around Meru National Park, protecting both people and elephants.
Elephants need to eat a huge amount of food every day and can easily wipe out an entire crop field in one night. The beehive fences offer safety and security for the farmers and their crops, which in turn drastically reduces the likelihood of retaliation against elephants, helping people and animals live harmoniously alongside each other.
The additional benefit for farmers is the honey the bees produce, which can be harvested and both used at home, and sold in the community.
We caught up with Born Free’s Community Conservation Ambassador Samim Kaari, and local farmer Susan Ngoki, to find out more about how well it’s working.