Elephants and agriculture coexist harmoniously in a protected landscape.

Elephant-Human Conflict: Why Saving Wildlife Means Supporting Communities

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Lena Kashyap in Climate & Environment August 2025 • 4 min read.

"New research reveals surprising insights into elephant behavior and crop damage, offering a path towards coexistence and conservation in Botswana's Okavango Delta."


Across the globe, human activities are increasingly encroaching on natural habitats, leading to more frequent and intense interactions between people and wildlife. This often results in competition for resources, which can escalate into conflicts that threaten both biodiversity and the economic well-being of local communities.

One of the most pressing examples of this is the conflict between humans and elephants, particularly in agricultural areas where elephants can cause significant crop damage. This not only affects the livelihoods of farmers but also leads to retaliatory actions against elephants, further endangering their populations. Finding effective strategies to mitigate these conflicts is crucial for both conservation and community development.

In a recent study focusing on the eastern Okavango Panhandle in Botswana, researchers investigated the space-use patterns of elephants in relation to crop damage. Their findings offer valuable insights into how these conflicts can be better managed, highlighting the importance of understanding elephant behavior and implementing targeted conservation strategies.

Understanding Elephant Movement: More Than Just Location

Elephants and agriculture coexist harmoniously in a protected landscape.

The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Oxford and the Ecoexist Project, among others, examined data from 20 GPS-collared elephants in the Okavango Delta. The goal was to understand how elephants use the landscape during different times of the year, including dry, wet, and crop-damage seasons, and to determine whether elephant space-use could predict crop-damage incidents.

Contrary to expectations, the research revealed that areas frequently used by elephants were not necessarily good indicators of where crop damage was likely to occur. Instead, elephant space-use was primarily influenced by distance to waterholes and areas away from agricultural fields. This suggests that elephants prioritize access to water and avoidance of human activity, but their movements are complex and not always directly linked to crop-raiding.

  • Water is Key: Elephants consistently sought areas near waterholes, highlighting the importance of water availability in their habitat selection.
  • Avoiding Humans: Elephants generally avoided agricultural fields, indicating a preference for minimizing interactions with human activities.
  • Corridors Matter: Elephant corridors play a significant role, particularly during the crop-damage season, suggesting they use these routes to navigate the landscape while minimizing risk.
  • Non-Linear Relationship: The study revealed a non-linear relationship between elephant space-use and crop damage, meaning that areas with high elephant activity are not always the most vulnerable to crop-raiding.
One of the most striking findings was that crop damage was more likely to occur in areas with intermediate to low levels of elephant space-use intensity. This suggests that crop-raiding is often opportunistic, happening when elephants are transiting through an area rather than concentrated in their core habitats. This highlights the need for targeted mitigation strategies that focus on deterring elephants from entering agricultural areas, rather than simply protecting areas of high elephant density.

A Path Forward: Local Solutions and Collaborative Conservation

Based on these findings, the researchers recommend a shift towards localized strategies for reducing human-elephant conflict. This includes deterring elephants from accessing crops at the local scale and supporting farmers in implementing protective measures. Landscape-scale interventions, such as protecting elephant corridors and ensuring access to water resources away from agricultural areas, are also crucial.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1016/j.biocon.2018.10.031, Alternate LINK

Title: Elephant Space-Use Is Not A Good Predictor Of Crop-Damage

Subject: Nature and Landscape Conservation

Journal: Biological Conservation

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Authors: Rocío A. Pozo, Jeremy J. Cusack, Graham Mcculloch, Amanda Stronza, Anna Songhurst, Tim Coulson

Published: 2018-12-01

Everything You Need To Know

1

How reliable is "elephant space-use" in predicting areas vulnerable to crop damage?

The study revealed that areas frequently used by elephants, based on "elephant space-use", are not necessarily reliable indicators of where crop damage will occur. "Elephant space-use" is more influenced by proximity to waterholes and distance from agricultural fields. This suggests that elephants prioritize access to water and avoiding interactions with humans, but their movements related to crop-raiding are more complex.

2

What did the study in the Okavango Delta reveal about the relationship between "elephant space-use intensity" and crop damage?

The study, focusing on the eastern Okavango Panhandle in Botswana, suggests crop damage is more likely to occur in areas with intermediate to low levels of "elephant space-use intensity". This indicates that crop-raiding is often opportunistic, happening when elephants are passing through an area rather than concentrated in their core habitats. It highlights the importance of targeted mitigation strategies to deter elephants from entering agricultural areas.

3

What specific localized and landscape-scale strategies do researchers recommend to reduce human-elephant conflict?

Researchers recommend localized strategies for reducing human-elephant conflict, such as deterring elephants from accessing crops at the local scale and supporting farmers in implementing protective measures. Landscape-scale interventions, like protecting "elephant corridors" and ensuring access to water resources away from agricultural areas, are also vital.

4

How do "elephant corridors" affect crop damage and what role do they play in mitigating human-elephant conflict?

"Elephant corridors" play a significant role, especially during the crop-damage season, suggesting elephants use these routes to navigate the landscape while minimizing risk. Protecting these corridors ensures that elephants can move between different areas without needing to cross agricultural land, reducing potential conflicts. The study emphasizes that maintaining these corridors helps in managing "elephant space-use" effectively.

5

What does the non-linear relationship between "elephant space-use" and crop damage imply for mitigation strategies?

The study reveals a non-linear relationship between "elephant space-use" and crop damage. This means that areas with high elephant activity are not always the most vulnerable to crop-raiding. Elephants prioritize areas near waterholes and away from human activities, but crop damage often occurs opportunistically in areas with less intense "elephant space-use". This insight calls for targeted strategies that focus on deterring elephants from entering agricultural zones rather than simply protecting areas of high elephant density.

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