Elephants raiding crops in communities bordering protected areas face lethal retaliation that threatens conservation while communities face economic losses.
Elephants killed in retaliation for crop raiding often experience painful deaths from spears, arrows, or poisoning. Conflict situations also expose elephants to extreme stress and fear. Livestock killed in elephant encounters and crops destroyed cause economic hardship for already vulnerable communities. Non-lethal deterrents including beehive fences reduce both elephant deaths and community losses simultaneously.