Thriving ecosystems rely on connections between protected nature reserves. In Africa, many of these corridors are created by elephant and intersect with human settlements. Because of increasing conflict between humans and elephant, these wildlife corridors are now under threat.
People living within and around wildlife corridors suffer direct economic and livelihood losses from conflict with animals using these pathways. They often resort to violence to chase the marauding elephants, or may even erect physical barriers such as electric fences to close-off the corridors.
We know that fear-landscapes deter elephants from moving through certain high-risk areas. Research by @elephantsalive has already shown that the majority of elephant movements occur under the cover of darkness due to the risky human-dominated landscapes they need to cross. So, elephant may voluntarily choose not to utilise at all open corridors with high human population densities.
The solution? Increasing human tolerance to wildlife while ensuring both human and elephant safety. Elephants Alive’s newest research demonstrates innovative ways that make human development compatible with conservation outcomes.
The illustrations provide a summarised infographic of the issues related to elephant migratory routes and HEC where corridors intersect with human settlements, as well as the solutions for each of the issues:
