Beekeeping/Bio-fencing — Nsefu Wildlife Conservation Foundation

BEEKEEPING AND BIOFENCING

Nsefu Wildlife is pioneering in conservation in that we were the first to initiate” biofencing” in Zambia and Southern Africa as a tool to save wildlife from Human/Elephant Conflict (HEC). Biofencing is the brainchild of Dr. Lucy King out of Kenya, and our board member/COO Andre Gascoigne spearheaded this program with her blessing and with his extensive experience in beekeeping.

Biofencing is the use of beehive fencing in order to reduce HEC. HEC is a VERY serious problem in Africa in that the human population is encroaching into wildlife habitat and elephants are raiding crops for food creating serious tensions between man and animal in the villages and surrounding areas. Biofencing dovetails with our beekeeping program in that we are helping villagers learn the art of beekeeping which in turn can help support their families with the sale of honey...and helping them construct beehive/biofencing to deter elephants from raiding. Elephants are deathly afraid of bees and bee swarms can kill a baby elephant. Stringing hives together along vulnerable corridors helps reduce HEC dramatically. When elephants hit the tripwire between hives...it shakes the hives releasing the bees. Wherever we have run biofencing, we have a 100% success rate in protecting crops and saving wildlife from potential harm.

It is yet another piece in our conservation gameplan. Families win by having income from the sale of their honey production and their crops protected by the hives from marauding elephants. Everyone wins! By addressing all the ways and means that animals can be injured or killed is critical to protecting Africa’s wildlife.