Scientists from nonprofit Elephants Without Borders working in Botswana recently discovered that disco lights are an effective and safer deterrent to keep elephants away from farmers’ fields, the BBC reports.
Home to the world’s largest elephant population, Botswana frequently deals with human and elephant interaction, with the majestic giants often passing through farming areas to access the Chobe River for drinking water. At times, crops are unintentionally harmed, and rural communities and elephants are still figuring out how to live harmoniously with one another.
Barking dogs and fences have failed to reroute elephant herds away from farmland, but locals discovered that flashing lights seem to work. Pursuing this idea, scientists from Elephants Without Borders placed solar-powered strobe lights along a field where elephants were previously seen passing through. They tested this method over a two-year period and recorded their observations, which were recently published in the Cambridge University Press journal Oryx.
The strobe lights proved to keep wandering elephants away from farmers’ land without harming them, marking an important step toward establishing a peaceful coexistence between humans and pachyderms in Botswana. Moreover, the lights are easily movable, enabling farmers to create safe, non-intrusive barriers on an as-needed basis.
The decreased damage to crops resulting from the strobe lights eases the increasing tensions between humans and elephants. At the very least, the lights represent a promising start toward sustainable, long-term solutions to the ongoing competition for land and resources.
Good! Better than pineapple bombs. It seems the water is far away from them with farmers’ fields in between!
All it takes is a bit of imagination and creativity. Elephants do not know about the things people do and should never suffer for that. I am happy to hear about this solution,
Elephants need to eat. They may need more food in the wild so they don’t go into farmer fields. Lights are better than hurting the elephants.
I love this! <3
WHAT A SIMPLE AND BEAUTIFUL WAY TO SAVE THEIR CROPS AND NOT KILL GOD’S DEFENSELESS CREATURES
At last, an idea that will, hopefully, save many elephants from being slaughtered just for trying to get to food or water.
A fantastic solution to keep elephants from being harmed.
What a great idea 🐘🐘.
Very cool idea. If that works to save those wonderful animals, I’m all for it.
Agree.
I would assume a good solution could be developed without it always resulting in the death of an elephant, after all, humans have encroached their habitat, not the other way around.
It would be a better deterrent. But the elephant on the picture looks hungry, doesn’t he?