Wild About Animals
New members come, and say Hello
Plant a seed and watch it grow
Old Members why not share your news
We have loads more for you to choose
Guests your welcome to have a look
but why not sign up and then get hooked!
To All its a pleasure to have you with us

Note: New Members are expected to post within one Month of joining, and post on a fairly regular basis.


Join the forum, it's quick and easy

Wild About Animals
New members come, and say Hello
Plant a seed and watch it grow
Old Members why not share your news
We have loads more for you to choose
Guests your welcome to have a look
but why not sign up and then get hooked!
To All its a pleasure to have you with us

Note: New Members are expected to post within one Month of joining, and post on a fairly regular basis.
Wild About Animals
Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.

Fight elephants with peppers, U.N. tells farmers

2 posters

Go down

Fight elephants with peppers, U.N. tells farmers Empty Fight elephants with peppers, U.N. tells farmers

Post  Safari Maiden Tue Jul 20, 2010 9:45 am

Extract from Reuters:

ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Farmers whose crops are raided by wild animals like elephants should try driving them away with pepper spray, using guard donkeys or booby trapping food with snakes, the U.N. said on Monday.

The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) unveiled in a statement on its website a "toolkit" it suggests should be taught or handed out to farmers, particularly in Africa, to stop them killing wildlife.

Competition between wild animals and humans is major source of conflict, especially in Africa where growing human populations require ever more land for crops and livestock.

Elephants and baboons hemmed in by dwindling wilderness can devastate crops. Hungry lions can lay waste to cattle.

"With the world's population growing at some 75 million a year, humans and wildlife are having to squeeze ever more tightly together, increasing the risk of conflict," it said.

Angry farmers often kill elephants that ruin their crops, but FAO has another suggestion: chilli pepper.

A plastic gun that fires ping-pong balls full of chilli that bursts on an elephant's skin and will send it running for cover. Another method suggests setting fire to a chilli-based mixture so the smoke deters the elephant.

Kenyan donkeys, FAO notes, are aggressive in defending farm land against even animals a lot bigger than they are.

"Baboons which enter buildings to steal food may be scared off by placing a snake, preferably alive, inside a hollowed-out loaf of bread," the FAO statement said. In Mozambique, where crocodiles kill 300 people a year, proper fencing at watering points could save lives. Hippos can be deterred at night by a bright torch shinning at them.

"Whatever the specific measures taken, it is important that they are introduced soon," FAO Forestry and Wildlife Officer Rene Czudek said. "The alternative could be the ... loss of wildlife as we know it across much of Africa."

The report does however note there are risks attached: hippos and elephants are extremely aggressive and can charge, so a gun might be a sensible back-up option.

(Writing by Tim Cocks)
Safari Maiden
Safari Maiden

Posts : 3392
Join date : 2010-05-05
Age : 53
Location : Midlands

Back to top Go down

Fight elephants with peppers, U.N. tells farmers Empty Re: Fight elephants with peppers, U.N. tells farmers

Post  Laikipia Tue Jul 20, 2010 11:22 am

I am speechless ..................................... No

Lai
Laikipia
Laikipia
Moderator

Posts : 16153
Join date : 2010-05-13
Age : 64
Location : Cheshire

Back to top Go down

Back to top

- Similar topics

 
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum