India: Deterring wild elephants with lemon trees

DW (English)

In India, wild elephants trample villages and raid crops due to habitat loss — sometimes with deadly consequences.

Transcript

00:00Once, the elephants were about to kill me.

00:10I tried to chase them away as they came towards my home.

00:14They confronted me and started chasing me.

00:17In front of my field's gate, they killed one of my cows and a calf.

00:21The elephants visit frequently from October to April.

00:24At the time of harvest, they would come and destroy the crops.

00:27The elephant herd that comes here has approximately 200 animals.

00:35Earlier I used to cultivate different types of rice in my fields.

00:40Now I cannot grow any paddy because of the elephants.

00:44One day, while chasing the elephants away, my son was almost killed.

00:49Seeing that, I was very scared.

00:53Budheshwar and Anil hail from Assam, the most populous state in northeast India and

00:59part of the eastern Himalayan biodiversity region.

01:03However, increasing human encroachment on elephant habitats has forced these animals

01:08to move out in search of food, often resulting in human-elephant conflicts.

01:21Between 2014 and 2022, these conflicts caused 3,938 human deaths across India, including

01:30561 in Assam.

01:33Meanwhile, from 2009 to 2023, 1,381 elephants died unnaturally due to causes such as electrocution

01:44and poisoning.

01:47In Assam, where over 70% of the population relies on farming, these conflicts pose a

01:53severe threat.

01:54For marginal farmers like Budheshwar and Anil, who cultivate just 1-4 acres of land, an elephant

02:01invasion can result in the complete loss of their livelihood, casualties, property damage,

02:07displacement, disruption of children's education and psychological stress, especially during

02:13harvest season.

02:14Our NGO Aranyak tried to find a mitigation measure where elephant invasions are very

02:23frequent.

02:27That thought process led us to the idea of building a fence with lemon trees, since lemon

02:32trees have thick growth and thorns.

02:35In 2018-2019, we started the project in Saraiguri Sapori in Shivsarga district.

02:49Aranyak collaborated with 15-18 farmers and prepared a few plots of land where they planted

02:55the first bio-fence.

02:56They helped us plant the lemon saplings and it was a success.

03:05After the plantation of lemon trees, the elephants stopped entering the fields.

03:11They passed by the field boundaries without entering.

03:20Another good factor is the additional economic benefit to the farmers.

03:25When the trees start fruiting, the farmers can sell them in the market.

03:34Since the plantation we have been able to cultivate, we are earning up to 16,000 rupees

03:38or around 180 euros a week for our families.

03:44Bio-fencing has significantly increased Budhiswar's income compared to previous years when elephant

03:49invasions were rampant.

03:54There is a specific method for the bio-fence plantation.

03:59The plants should be planted in rows of three.

04:02Each plant should be at an angular distance from the middle row, forming a consistent

04:06pattern.

04:07At present, we are implementing the bio-fence where human-elephant conflict is common in

04:13Majuli and Sadia.

04:18We have planted the lemon saplings across the field boundaries and also facing the Hologaon

04:23reserve forest.

04:24We have to wait for one or two years and shall find out what happens.

04:29It will be a blessing when the lemon saplings grow.

04:31We don't need the bamboo fences anymore.

04:40Aranyak has an agenda to live in harmony with the elephants.

04:45We promote coexistence.

04:47We want to look for sustainable solutions.

04:51Keeping that in mind, we are promoting bio-fencing in the region.

04:58Through innovative solutions like bio-fencing, communities in Assam are finding ways to coexist

05:04with elephants while protecting their livelihoods.

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