In many areas in Africa people and elephants live in close proximity. Paula and I learned just how close when coming out of a restaurant in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, a town of about 30k people, there was an elephant walking down the middle of the street stopping traffic. While our encounter was entertaining that is not the case in rural areas. Elephants raid crops planted by local farmers. A few elephants can wipe out a farmer’s entire crop in one night causing economic disaster for a family. Even worse, it is not uncommon for elephants to kill people.

In the area where Elefence is partnering with Wildlife Action Group three people were killed by
elephants in less than two years one of which was an experienced forest ranger. Before traveling to Africa I would have wondered, how this can happen. Elephants are very large animals. A full grown bull can be 13 feet tall and weigh 5-6 tons. To get an idea of just how large they are look at the following photo of one close to a compact auto. How can something this huge be overlooked in the forest?

When we were on a game drive with our guide, Custard, and yes that was his name, we came around a bend and standing in the path about 100 yards away was a large bull elephant. Custard stopped and turned off the engine and told us to remain quiet and move around very little while taking photos. Shortly the bull began to walk toward us. It was about 30 yards away when I became struck by the fact that we were sitting in the open back of a pickup truck and should the bull decide to remove us from his path he could easily turn the vehicle over. Custard was unconcerned. About ten yards away he turned off the path and moved around us through the bush. When I began breathing again I became aware that had I shut my eyes all I would have heard was a slight rustling of the bushes. He was that quiet.

Elephants are large but walk very gingerly, putting one foot down softly before advancing another. In addition if you look at their feet closely you will notice the wide area at the end of their leg which acts like a big cushion. It is almost like they walk on pillows. They can move so quietly it is no wonder they can go undetected until it is too late.

One of Elefence’s mission is resolution of HEC, Human Elephant Conflict, which is a widely recognized problem in rural Africa and often draws demands from locals to kill the elephants. Our solution is construction of solar powered electric fencing to keep the two species apart therefore protecting both. WAG is currently erecting an extension to the fence around the Dedza-Salima reserve funded by a private donation to Elefence. A fence not only protects both people and elephants it is an economic benefit as local villagers are paid to construct the fence but also patrol and maintain it as well.