The ancient migratory routes of African elephants, followed for millennia, are becoming increasingly impassable. Roads, railway lines, electric fences and growing human settlements are hindering the passage of these giant mammals, blocking their access to food and water.
The phenomenon is taking on worrying proportions across the African continent. As reported by the English newspaper The Guardian, in recent years the conflict between humans and elephants has surpassed poaching as the main threat to pachyderms, particularly in northern Kenya. A significant turning point, considering that until a few years ago poaching represented the number one threat.
The collapse of the ivory market
China’s ban on ivory trade since 2018 has led to a collapse in ivory prices and a sharp decline in poaching. In 2011, during the peak of poaching, over 30,000 elephants were killed annually for their tusks. Today, scientists estimate that less than half of this number is killed by poachers.
However, the overall situation remains critical. Around 415,000 African elephants remain in the wild, and both African species are classified as endangered after population collapses in recent decades. Particularly dramatic is the fate of African forest elephants, whose population has decreased by 86% in thirty years.
Infrastructures that divide
The Tsavo region of Kenya, home to 17,000 elephants, is a case in point. Two rows of pylons cross the land adjacent to the Mombasa-Nairobi highway, while the Chinese-built SGR railway bisects the area. Environmentalists fear that a four-lane extension of the proposed highway could permanently block migration routes.
Difficult coexistence
In Oldonyiro, a village of around 3,000 people in northern Kenya, living with elephants has become dangerous. The settlement sits at the center of a key passage for hundreds of African savanna elephants, which traverse a corridor between steep hills moving between seasonal feeding areas.
Clashes are frequent and dramatic. Last August, 19-year-old Samburu girl Sarolie Louwapere was attacked by a bull elephant while grazing the family goats. The animal hit him in the side, breaking his leg. Across sub-Saharan Africa there has been a sharp increase in deaths linked to these conflicts, with dozens of people killed or injured, triggering reprisal killings.
Innovative solutions
Despite the challenges, some communities are finding creative ways to coexist with the pachyderms. Save the Elephants researcher Dr Lucy King has capitalized on elephants’ natural fear of bees by promoting the use of beehive fences to reduce fights. These fences consist of hives hung between poles surrounding cultivated fields.
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A 2024 study, published in The Society for Conservation Biology, found that beehive fences can reduce crop incursions by up to 86% during the peak season, when there is good rainfall. Bees also offer additional benefits: they pollinate crops and allow farmers to earn money from the sale of honey. Other methods include pepper balls, ditches, night guards and firecrackers.
However, these systems have limitations: insects are sensitive to drought and are less effective in unpredictable weather. The challenge remains finding a sustainable balance between the needs of human communities and the survival of these majestic animals, whose presence continues to shape African ecosystems.
Sources: The Society for Conservation Biology / The Guardian
