In an effort to mitigate human-elephant conflicts, the Kilimanjaro Resource Centre (KRC) has distributed 100 beehives to beekeeping groups in Lerang’wa Village, Enduimet Ward, Longido District, Arusha Region.
The initiative is part of the Restoration and Protection Program for Ecologically Threatened Ecosystem Sites of Kilimanjaro and Longido (REPROTECT), which seeks to protect wildlife habitats while empowering local communities.
The beehives serve as natural barriers, helping prevent elephants from raiding farms, destroying property, and threatening human lives.
Lerang’wa is among five villages bordering Kilimanjaro National Park, Kenya’s Amboseli Reserve, and the Enduimet Wildlife Conservancy, all of which participate in the REPROTECT project.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, preceded by training for village leaders and local groups, KRC Director Dr. Gerubin Liberath Msaki said the project aims to build community capacity through modern beekeeping, entrepreneurial activities, and cultural-ecological tourism.
“REPROTECT also focuses on tree planting and developing commercial beekeeping alongside modern agriculture to improve the livelihoods of communities in Enduimet Ward,” Dr. Msaki said.
Other villages benefiting from REPROTECT, which is expected to reach over 15,000 people, include Kitendeni, Irkaswa, Kamwanga, and Olmolog.
Lerang’wa serves as the pilot village in the first year, with expansion to other villages in the project’s second and third years.
Longido District Acting Director Jacob Lyimo urged residents to use the beehives effectively, emphasizing the dual benefit of income generation and conflict reduction.
“Use these hives for modern beekeeping. Besides deterring elephants, you will harvest honey that can be sold to improve your livelihoods,” Lyimo said.
Revocatus Meney, a researcher from the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), trained the community on elephant behavior and human-elephant coexistence, stressing that bees are natural deterrents for elephants.
“The elephant’s greatest enemy is the bee. With proper management, communities can protect farms and homes while earning income from honey,” Meney said.
He also advised villagers to avoid human activities such as farming or construction in wildlife corridors, which often trigger elephant raids.
Currently, 91 districts in Tanzania face human-elephant conflicts, largely due to human expansion into wildlife habitats and cultivation near protected areas, reserves, and community-managed lands.
Lerang’wa Village Chairman Isaya Lembura and local beekeeper Obedi Mollel thanked the REPROTECT sponsors and pledged to safeguard the project for long-term community benefit.
“This project gives hope to our village. For years, elephant invasions caused major losses, but now we have a sustainable solution,” Lembura said.
The three-year REPROTECT initiative is funded by the international organization Terret et Faune Association and implemented by KRC in collaboration with TAWIRI, Longido District Council, Tanzania Forest Services (TFS), and local communities.
