Elephants are scared of bees, and that can save their lives
, NYT News Service|
Jan 29, 2018, 09.25 AM IST
Elephants are afraid of bees. The largest animal on land is so terrified of a tiny insect that it will flap its ears, stir up dust and make noises when it hears the buzz of a beehive. Of course a bee's stinger can't penetrate the thick hide of an elephant. But when bees swarm, hundreds might sting an elephant in its most sensitive areas, the trunk, mouth and eyes. And they hurt.
The threat of bees is so intensely felt by elephants that conservationists are using it to help prevent the kinds of conflict that put the behemoths at risk.
The endangered animals have sometimes been shot by farmers trying to save their crops from elephants foraging at night for late-night snacks, or by poachers allowed access to help guard the fields. Now there's a weapon in the arsenal.
In recent years, researchers have persuaded farmers to use the elephant's fear of bees as a potential fence line to protect crops. By stringing beehives every 20m — alternating with fake hives — a team of researchers in Africa has shown that they can keep 80% of elephants away from farmland.
The threat of bees is so intensely felt by elephants that conservationists are using it to help prevent the kinds of conflict that put the behemoths at risk.
The endangered animals have sometimes been shot by farmers trying to save their crops from elephants foraging at night for late-night snacks, or by poachers allowed access to help guard the fields. Now there's a weapon in the arsenal.
In recent years, researchers have persuaded farmers to use the elephant's fear of bees as a potential fence line to protect crops. By stringing beehives every 20m — alternating with fake hives — a team of researchers in Africa has shown that they can keep 80% of elephants away from farmland.
