This project will address lack of awareness to 2000 villagers about elephant behavior in relation to human-elephants conflict, one of the emerging environmental and socio-economic crises at Msosa village, Kilolo District, Iringa Region, Tanzania. Elephants from Udzungwa Mountains National Park have been raiding crops, causing destruction, injuries and death to humans. It will serve villagers from habit of harassing elephants for the purpose of scaring them away, a behavior that cause more harm.
Human-elephants conflict is an escalating problem at Msosa village located to the Western side of the Udzungwa Mountains National Park. Elephants from the Park are invading the village, raiding crops, causing destruction, injuries and death to humans. Lack of knowledge about elephants behavior has resulted to a habit of villagers harassing elephants for the purpose of scaring them away, a behavior that makes elephants more aggressive rather than scared of the people, thus causing more harm.
PAMOJA in collaboration with Kilolo District Council, Udzungwa National Park, Wildlife and Livelihoods experts will put one week emergency awareness camp at Msosa village to train villagers about elephants behavior and human-elephants conflicts. In addition, training in appropriate livelihoods like beekeeping that serve well to deter elephants from invading crops will be provided in a special schedule. Village scouts will be identified, sent for training to serve in monitoring forest resources.
1. Improved awareness about elephants behavior and issues in human-elephants conflicts to about 80% of villagers, including school children. 2. Decreased incidences of human-elephants conflicts, human injuries and crop destruction from elephants. 3. Six trained volunteer village scouts in place, conducting joint patrols in Kisago Village Forest Reserve, for improved management of the forest resources. 4. Beekeeping project in place, and beehives as potential fence line to protect crops.
