This week I went out with Axel and Franck to check the beehives. The Smithsonian is trying to create a pilot project to see if bees are an effective measure of protection against African forest elephants for plantations. As I mentioned in a
previous post, plantations have little defense against elephant crop raids. Often times one visit by an elephant can have a large loss of crops and money, even if it doesn't visit frequently. The hope behind the beehives is that elephants will be deterred if beehives line the property of plantations. To test this hypothesis, they've placed beehives near
Saccoglottis gabonensis trees, a favorite for elephants. Currently they are seeing how many beehives will colonize, and then the research can begin. The beehives will use camera traps to see how effective they are with deterring elephants.
 |
| Franck et Axel regardent les abeilles dans la ruche. |
 |
Axel said that this honey comb was super weird looking and he'd never seen anything like it. He took the photo for me because I didn't have any gloves on.
|
 |
| Franck using the smoke to keep the bees away from the hive while Axel checks for honey/honeycomb. |
 |
| A piece of honey comb that the bees built. |
 |
| Franck to the left and Axel to the right in front of the Smithsonian truck. Franck is holding a machete and the smoker. The black tube on the truck is a snorkel for when the rains have submerged the "road" and savanna during the wet season. |
I would of never guessed that people would want to colonize bees in order to deter elephants from venturing into the plantations, but it's pretty clever. Especially near those trees. I
RépondreSupprimerIt's a bummer that the plantation owners have to go through such financial loss. It's also a bummer that there isn't more funding to complete projects like fences/enclosures. This seems to be a prevalent issue - all of the incomplete buildings, roads, etc. :(
It's great that Smithsonian is concerned and lending hands.