Defending Livelihoods, Protecting Giants: The Urgent Need for Fencing in West Laikipia
The human-elephant conflict in West Laikipia is among the most severe in East Africa. With over 145,000 farmers relying on agriculture for their livelihood, any crop damage spells disaster. Bull elephants, known for their ingenuity, frequently raid farms, targeting weaker points in the fence or areas left unfenced. Despite the fence’s effectiveness in protecting communities, elephants continue to breach vulnerable sections.
In 2016, Space for Giants, in partnership with the Laikipia County Government, made a significant stride in mitigating human-wildlife conflict. We installed over 140 kilometers of electric fencing (equivalent to over 1,333 football pitches) in West Laikipia, a region home to Kenya’s second-largest elephant population. This successful initiative has significantly reduced human-elephant conflict, demonstrating the potential impact of our current project. However, there is still much to be done.
50 kilometers of fence remain unfinished and require realignment, including ADC Mutara, Kifuku Ranches, and Suyian Conservancy. These unfenced sections offer elephants easy access to farms, posing a continuous threat to the communities that live there.
For farmers like Wanjiku, a smallholder in the ADC Mutara area, the consequences of elephant raids are not just heartbreaking but devastating. After working tirelessly to harvest her 2-acre maize farm, she watched 80% of her crop—her year’s income—vanish overnight, consumed by elephants that found a broken access gate, which had been damaged earlier by another elephant during the night. Left unrepaired, it provided easy access to the farms. Incidents like this shatter livelihoods and heighten tensions between humans and elephants, sometimes resulting in deadly retaliation. Wanjiku's story is one of many, and it's a stark reminder of the urgent need to secure boundaries that protect local people and elephants.
In areas without physical fencing, Space for Giants uses geofences. Geofences are virtual boundaries that track collared elephants. When elephants approach and cross these boundaries, EarthRanger technology triggers real-time alerts. *EarthRanger is a real-time software tool that helps conservation teams monitor wildlife movements, track potential conflicts, and enhance protection efforts through data collection and analysis.
With support from Space for Giants scouts, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Human-Elephant Conflict team responds quickly, directing the elephants back into protected areas before further conflict occurs. Our human-elephant conflict mobile scouts monitor elephant movements, respond to conflict, and support local communities, ensuring the safety of both people and wildlife while bridging conservation efforts and community needs.
Completing the fence is crucial. It will protect farms from raids, allow farmers to thrive, and foster peaceful coexistence between people and elephants. But we cannot achieve this without your help.
We are appealing to you to help us raise funds for this vital project. Every contribution will bring us closer to fully fencing off vulnerable areas and safeguarding the lives and livelihoods of those who call West Laikipia home.
