Elephant Survey and Conservation Programme : final and annual report 1979
Publication
1979
Authors
Douglas-Hamilton, Iain
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Building communities capacities to coexist with wildlife
In Assam, Northeast India, the Himalayan foothill forests provide essential habitat for the Asian elephant Elephas maximus. The natural vegetation in the region is moist deciduous forest, but this has mainly been transformed and now contains a mosaic of land uses and vegetation. These include rice cultivation, village settlements, commercial tea plantations and protected areas.
In 2004, a pilot project was established between Chester Zoo (then North of England Zoological Society), United Kingdom and EcoSystems – India, a regional non-governmental organization (NGO), to further learn about the conflict and determine the best way towards sustainable solutions with the impacted communities. This pilot phase became the catalyst for the Assam Haathi Project, which worked with local communities to understand the situation further and identify solutions for addressing the issue collaboratively. The project ran for 14 years, from 2004 to 2018, and conducted many activities to address the human-elephant conflict. This case study highlights a subset of activities that have been conducted by the Assam Haathi Project (hereafter “the project”).
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The Tarija region of southern Bolivia encompasses four ecosystems, including the critically endangered Inter-Andean dry forests. Much of the forest composition has changed as a result of intensive human intervention. Despite the severe fragmentation and habitat loss, the valleys are considered important centres for plant endemism, and it is home to the largest carnivores of South America, Andean bear Tremarctos ornatus, jaguar Panthera onca and puma Puma concolor. The area is prone to the effects of climate change with severe droughts
affecting agriculture, with up to 80 percent crop losses in 2015.
Following a regional assessment on the distribution of Andean bears in 2010, researchers received reports from local communities regarding Andean bears attacking and killing cattle in the Tarija region, with retaliation against the bears ensuing. Researchers were surprised by these reports as the presence of bears had not been documented in the area. However, in 2016, a camera trap study was initiated by Chester Zoo, Protección Medio Ambiente Tarija (PROMETA) and the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) and confirmed the presence of a reproductive population of Andean bears (mother and cub) in the region. These findings became the trigger to start the Andean Bears and People Project in 2018, a collaboration between Chester Zoo, PROMETA, WildCRU, Centro de Estudios Regionales de Tarija (CERDET), Instituto de Investigación y Capacitacion Campesina (IICA) and the Natural History Museum Alcides d’Orbigny.
Developing and evaluating a beehive fence deterrent through stakeholder involvement
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This case study highlights the process undertaken since 2001 to understand the effect honey bees had on elephants and to develop, evaluate and implement beehive fences at several sites in Kenya, from initial research-based studies on the effect of bees on elephants to the establishment of the Elephants and Bees Project.
Coexistence with large cats: Experience from a citizen science project
Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) is one of four parks in the world adjacent to a large metropolis, that occupies about 100 km2 with a minimum density of ~20 000 people/km2 and contains diverse wildlife such as chital Axis axis, sambhar Rusa unicolor, mugger crocodiles Crocodylus palustris, macaques Macaca mulatta and leopard Panthera pardus.
These incidents coincided with an increase in the number of leopards captured and translocated to the area. In 2011, discussions on addressing these issues were initiated with the authorities in the area.
Reducing human-carnivore conflict through participatory research
The presence of forested islands creates edge habitats for many wildlife species, such as jaguar Panthera onca, tapir Tapirus terrestris, capybara Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris, harpy eagle Harpia harpyja, to name a few. The human population density in the region is very low (0.4 people/km2), with communities consisting of predominantly indigenous Makushi and Wapichan people, with mixed populations including Guyana’s nine indigenous groups. The primary livelihoods in the region are subsistence fishing, farming and hunting.
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The programme established a body of work for reducing the human-carnivore conflict by conducting participatory research with the impacted communities facilitated in collaboration with the Department of Wildlife Ecology & Conservation at the University of Florida and the Guyana Conservation Initiative at the Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens. This case study highlights the initial steps taken to understand the situation further to help inform future management.
Co-developing a community camera trapping programme to deliver benefits of living with wildlife
The Rungwa-Ruaha landscape in United Republic of Tanzania at nearly 50 000 km2 is one of the most important wildlife areas in Africa and it supports one of the world’s largest remaining populations of lions Panthera leo and globally significant populations of African wild dogs Lycaon pictus, cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus, leopards Panthera pardus and spotted hyaenas Crocuta crocuta.
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Despite the initial data showing high levels of conflict, prior to 2009, there had been little targeted research on human-carnivore conflict drivers, dynamics and mitigation in the Ruaha landscape. To help fill this gap, and also to provide more information on large carnivore ecology in the area, the Ruaha Carnivore Project (RCP) was founded in 2009. In 2020, RCP merged with work being done in Kenya and Zambia to form Lion Landscapes, one of the largest locally-based carnivore conservation organizations in the world.
GEOfood
GEOfood is a global initiative that promotes food sourced and produced within UNESCO Global Geoparks. It emphasizes the connections between local food, food traditions, and the geological heritage of the region where the food is produced.
The initiative aims to support sustainable development by encouraging responsible food production, protecting biodiversity, and promoting local economic impact. Only recognized UNESCO Global Geoparks can use the GEOfood brand, ensuring that the raw materials come from within or near these geoparks.
GEOfood ( www.geofood.no) is a global brand that promotes food sourced and produced within UNESCO Global Geoparks. It emphasizes the connections between local food, food traditions, and the geological heritage of the region where the food is produced
Here are some key aspects of the GEOfood brand:
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