1 Tahrcountry Musings: The need to listen to local wisdom

Saturday, November 08, 2008

The need to listen to local wisdom

The innovative ways in which local populace comes up with ways to solve some of their problems never ceases to amaze me. Here is yet another example from Thai villagers who have come up with cost effective ways to solve the problem of crop raiding by elephants.

Stringing up unwanted CDs is helping to keep elephants away from farmers' crops. CDs act as light reflectors to deter the elephants. CDs twisted and shone, mimicking a person with a torch and Works best during full moon. A very innovative and practical solution from the local people. The scientists working in the area were intrigued. Impressed scientists from The Elephant Conservation Network (ECN), and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), are propagating the idea in Thailand.

Elephants are intelligent animals and it remains to be seen whether it will work on a long term basis, but for the time being it seems to work

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