elephant Archives - Nikela: Helping People Saving Wildlife

The Feared One Tusked Elephant Meets His Match

Sep 4, 2019 · by Wildlife Margrit · In: elephant, Human Wildlife Conflict, Nikela Blog Tagged: beehive fences, beehives, elephants, human-wildlife conflict, Moses Ryakitimbo, Tanzania

“Jino Moja is coming!” His very name strikes fear into the hearts of the villagers surrounding the Arusha National Park. This one tusked elephant and his herd are famous for invading the crop fields. Maize, sugar cane and other vegetables are eaten and trampled underfoot. Legend has it that Jino Moja lost his tusk during a clash with another male elephant in the farmlands. A nearby villager, Mr. Gere, tells of his first encounter with the one tusked elephant. “I was inside the house at around 20h (8 pm) when I heard my wife scream. I took my machete and…

What is the difference between Wildlife Conservation and Animal Welfare?

Aug 7, 2019 · by Wildlife Margrit · In: Animal Welfare, Bearded Vulture, elephant, lion, Nikela Blog, wildlife conservation Tagged: animal welfare, wildlife conservation

“Aren’t they one and the same thing?” For quite some time I thought wildlife conservation and animal welfare were concepts that could be used interchangeably. However, I was dead wrong. Although on the surface it may seem that both wildlife conservation and animal welfare are about saving and protecting furry and feathered creatures… each has a different premise. Wildlife Conservation can be defined as… “Wildlife conservation activities relate to the protection of plants and animal species, and their habitats. Conservation efforts are made with a goal to preserve nature, and endangered species for the future generations.” (According to the US…

BBC NewsDay interview with Moses about Bees Saving Elephants

Jul 11, 2019 · by Wildlife Margrit · In: elephant, Human Wildlife Conflict, Human Wildlife Conflict, Nikela Blog, wildlife conservation Tagged: bee hives, human wildlife conflicts, Moses Ryakitimbo, saving elephants, Tanzania

“Can you put me in touch with Moses?” wrote Christophe from BBC NewsDay. He was curious about bees saving elephants. Well one thing led to another and Alan was assigned to interview Moses over the phone to learn about his work in Tanzania with bees saving elephants. Alan asks Moses how he got started into this work, where he got the idea to use bees to keep elephants away from farmer’s crops, and what successes he has seen. Nikela sponsored the first ten bee hives that are already producing results. Right now we’re getting ready to send additional funds to…

Why Marching for Elephants and Pangolin works every time in Uganda

Jun 25, 2019 · by Wildlife Margrit · In: Animal Poaching, elephant, Human Wildlife Conflict, Illegal trade, Moses, Nikela Blog, Pangolin, snares, wildlife conservation, Wildlife Trafficking Tagged: building beehives, human-wildlife conflict, reformed poachers, saving elephants, saving pangolin, Uganda, wildlife poaching

It all starts by picking the right area where poaching and human wildlife conflict are issues. Then marching for elephants and pangolins can lead to a reduction of both wildlife conservation problems. Here’s how it works for real. Moses has been marching for elephants and pangolin every year since 2015. Each time he targets villages surrounding a National Park. Poaching and human wildlife conflicts are huge issues in such areas. Wildlife of all kinds (of most serious concern is the highly endangered pangolin) are poached for bush meat and the wildlife trafficking trade to Asia. Poachers are easily recruited from…

Botswana Reopens Hunting Ignoring Science to Gain Votes

May 25, 2019 · by Wildlife Margrit · In: conservation, elephant, Human Wildlife Conflict, Nikela Blog, Sustainability, trophy hunting Tagged: Botswana, Conservation Action Trust, human-wildlife conflict, politics, tourism, trophy hunting

Botswana reopens hunting. The government announced yesterday they are “lifting the hunting suspension in an orderly and ethical manner”. A decision that seemed inevitable, but nevertheless is an enormous blow for Botswana’s tourism and conservation reputation. Since President Masisi’s announcement last year proposing lifting the hunting ban, this whole process has been a well-orchestrated election campaign, casting hunting as the solution to Human Elephant Conflict, rural poverty and elephant population control. The Botswana Democratic Party has been in power since independence in 1966 but dropped to a record low of 46% of the voters’ support in the last election. By…