The African Elephant is one of the continent’s most recognisable icons. The lumbering giant’s likeness features on several national currency denominations (such as the Ugandan 500 Shilling note), in landmarks like the gate-keeping tusks which tower over Moi Avenue in Mombasa, and even on our beer.
And they loom large in our imaginations for much more than just their physical attributes. We know them for their wisdom, for a mother’s bravery in the face of threatening savannah predators. We know them for their memory and for their endurance, migrating from one watering hole to the next.
Unfortunately, all of these qualities, their best ones, contribute to make many flash-points for conflict with their human neighbours.
Many of us are well-versed in the evils of the illegal ivory trade. Here at the Trust, working alongside the Kenya Wildlife Service, we will continue to work to undermine this cruel and unnecessary trade. But there are many lesser-known areas of conflict between our kind and these majestic creatures.
And until we find a way to peacefully coexist with the world’s largest land Mammals it pays to understand these points of conflict. Hopefully then we can find a path toward a peaceful resolution!
‘An Elephant Never Forgets’
It’s an age-old saying and it is often used to pay tribute to these beautiful behemoths. But well-kept memories aren’t always good memories. And, while we’d love for the places of our childhood to stay just as they are, any modern human can attest to the fact that we live in a changing world.
Crop farming and human settlement increasingly encroach on the old migratory paths of the Elephants. In these situations, where humans are protecting their livelihood and elephants their herd or young, conflict becomes inevitable.
Many farmers are encouraged to attempt non-violent means of discouraging elephants from their land. They’ve been known to use firecrackers or to create loud noises. Many do so with the best of intentions: not hurting the animals while pushing them away.
As anyone who has tried to calm their dog around fireworks could guess, animals are traumatised by fireworks. The loud noises, unfortunately, tend to panic the animals and when they are stressed they react unpredictably.
In situations where these otherwise gentle creatures find themselves threatened and uncertain violence becomes more likely. This has caused fatalities on both sides.
‘An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind’
As perhaps the most unfortunate side effect of this conflict is the fact that elephants, like humans, do not react well to the loss of a loved one. Some studies have suggested that elephant’s who have lost a relative to conflict with humans are more likely to show aggression toward us in the future.
The more we learn about these magnificent mammals the more we see them demonstrate the emotions that were previously believed to be the preserve of humanity.
They are smart and they are loving. They feel stress, they know loss and can be driven to vengefulness. These wise creatures are not so different from ourselves as previous generations might have thought.
Hopefully, understanding that brings us a little closer to peaceful coexistence.
