Scare elephants away with bees: AAU

Man-elephant conflict

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Dec 26: Scared of elephant herds destroying standing crops? Scare them away with buzzing bees, say Assam Agriculture University (AAU) researchers.

 Increasing man-elephant conflict in the State has made farmers in the State tense. A few AAU researchers have, however, come up with a solution. They have prescribed the State farmers scientific beekeeping to get rid of elephants destroying their crops, as often as not, claiming their lives as well.  Speaking to this reporter, AAU Additiol Director of Agriculture Manjit Talukdar said, “Bees can be very helpful in putting the man-elephant conflict to an end. Villagers have to keep at least five boxes of honey-bee on either side of an elephant corridor, leading the pachyderms to their village.”

“Bees produce a particular sound which frightens elephants. The first simple conclusion we can come out is that elephants will get frightened by the sound of the bees, and go back. Even if they try to attack bee boxes, bees attack them on their trunks. Out of pain they will be bound to flee the spot,” Talukdar said.

The scientist also said that scientific beekeeping would also make people get rid of monkey mece, destroying their orchards. The AAU scientists have also approached the government to take this technique to put an end to man-elephant conflict. “Along with encumbering elephant and monkey mece, scientific beekeeping will increase productivity of crops through pollition support and production of honey and other honey products,” Talukdar said.