Conservationists in Tanzania are using an unorthodox way of keeping elephants from wandering into human settlements – by throwing condoms filled with chili powder at them.
The method has proved effective and Honeyguide Foundation, which hit upon the idea several years ago, with U.S.-based Nature Conservancy has stepped up its promotion, training volunteers in villages in north Tanzania to use a non-violent four-step way of protecting their homes and crops without hurting the animals. Previously many used spears to defend themselves.
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Tarangire National Park in northern Tanzania works to protect elephants, but they can wander across boundaries onto farms, devastating a family’s food supply, as well as trampling property and threatening a family’s safety.
An unorthodox four-step elephant alarm system is now helping protect villagers’ food sources without harming the elephant.
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The first two steps involve shining a bright torch light at the trespassing elephant and sounding off a loud horn. But if this doesn’t deter the elephant, a “chili cloud” should do the trick. Several spoonfuls of chili powder are mixed with a handful of soil and then packed into an unrolled condom. Lastly, a firecracker is pushed into the condom and the end twisted shut with just the fuse exposed.
When lit, the condom bursts open with a bang, spraying a fine dust of chili powder into the air.
Researchers from the University of Tokyo revealed in 2014 that, unsurprisingly, elephants have a powerful sense of smell. In fact, they have more than twice the olfactory genes of domestic dogs, the study found. So a cloud of chili powder should be enough to get right up their noses and send them on their way.
Nevertheless, as a last resort, the fourth step is a rifle-shaped launcher that shoots a Roman candle firework into the air producing a loud and bright explosion.
The four-step technique was devised by Tanzania-based conservation group the Honeyguide Foundation, with support from the U.S.-based Nature Conservancy.
They are now training teams of volunteers in a number of villages throughout northern Tanzania to use the solution to protect their crops and villages.
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Habitat loss due to encroaching human settlements has forced many elephants off their traditional feeding grounds, increasing human-elephant conflict.
Poaching has also risen across sub-Saharan Africa, where armed gangs have killed elephants for tusks and rhinos for horns that are often shipped to Asia for use in ornaments and medicines.”