Crop-raiding in African forest elephants

Human-elephant conflict is common on cropland due to human encroachment into wildlife habitat, a serious conservation challenge in many countries in sub Saharan Africa. Though, a variety of conflict management strategies have been used for mitigation, the positive impact is not much, crop-raiding is still increasingly alarming especially in mount Cameroon national park periphery due to increase in human settlement. Crop-raiding behavior of elephants has recently taken the center stage of human-wildlife conflict in this area. Villagers have taken the fore front of the battle, struggling to push elephants back to the wild, using all kinds of affordable deterrents measures to stop the elephant feeding and foraging activities on their cropland. Consequently, casualties on both side of the conflict often occur, justifying a mitigation conservation strategy such as compensation of the affected villages on a possible re-settlement plan, and translocation of some of the elephants to distant protection areas. The Book on the crop-raiding behavior of elephants explored various factors that would lead to the crop-raiding crises.

Autorentext

Melle Ekane Maurice ist eine Kamerunerin aus der Unterabteilung Bangem. Er ist außerordentlicher Professor für Wildtiermanagement und leitet die Abteilung für Forstwirtschaft und Wildtiere an der Universität Buea in Kamerun. Darüber hinaus hat er zahlreiche wissenschaftliche Artikel im Bereich der Naturschutzbiologie veröffentlicht.