organic smelly elephant repellant This is a strong-odour repellent made from low-cost ingredients. It has 2 methods of application and can help protect crops and prevent elephants from entering the farm boundary. For a 1 acre fence, you will need roughly:
Method 1 : SPRAY
Method 2 : fENCE
Spray this on crops as they are maturing or when elephants have begun crop-raiding. This repellent is a good organic fertiliser and may also help keep away crop pests. 20 litres protects 1/2 acre if sprayed OR 1 acre using the fence method. Elephants may still trample over sprayed vegetation.
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2
Make holes in the upper half of the bottles (above the repellent level).
these 3 Hang around the
farm using wire or string.
Fill the bottles halfway with the finished repellent.
Let the mixture settle in a sealed large drum for 3-4 weeks.
Use protective gear when preparing the concoction. 2 meters
10 meters
Place posts at 10 m intervals.
1.
260m of barbed wire
140 - 160 plastic bottles
24 poles (2-2.5m long)
This idea was pioneered by students in Northern Uganda and further developed by WildAid Africa.
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This powerful smell will reach and deter any approaching elephants. The more holes in the bottle, the better the smell will diffuse out.
Leave a gap (buffer zone) of 2 meters between the last line of crops and the fence boundary. This may prevent elephants from attempting to access crops from outside the fence.
Experiments on this new method are still ongoing. Please contact WildAid (africa@wildaid.org) for the lastest recipe and details of how this repellent is best applied to protect your crops.
After cooking the repellant, the residues can be sieved and used to make chilli briquettes.
PROS
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Smell produced is very pungent, it effectively deters elephants. Minimal maintenance needed once the fence is installed. Materials are easy to find. Even using limited ingredients can be effective in deterring elephants.
cons
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Needs to be reapplied every 2 months in the dry season and every 3 weeks in the wet season. Short-term deterrent. Less effective in the rainy season. Ingredients may be expensive for some farmers. Smelly elephant repellant fence installed in Mwambiti village in Sagalla, Tsavo, Kenya. Left © Jasper Scofield, right © Simatwa Ngachi
cheaper alternative method
(for 20 litres)
Mix together:
With time the smell reduces and makes the fence less effective . The spraying method is least effective as the rain will easily washes the repellent away.
Credits and Disclaimer: 2 kg freshly ground chilli
1 kg elephant dung
0.5 litres oil
Leave this to set for 3 weeks in a bucket before filling into bottles.
2.
Made in Kenya 2023
5 eggs
25 litres water
Zimbabwe
Produced by Save the Elephants
A WildAid initiative. Credit to: Latigo Henry; UCC Pakwach, 2016 cohort; Uganda Conservation Foundation; Uganda Wildlife Authority; Oniba Ernest and Maz Robertson. This resource is based on existing WildAid Africa resources. More information can be found here: www.wildaid.org. For resources used, see References. Further research may be required before each site-specific implementation.Safety and caution is advised with all the methods presented in this toolbox. * Save the Elephants is not liable for any costs, damages or injuries incurred by the use of these methods or information.
www.savetheelephants.org
Illustrations by Nicola Heath