Elephants in Gabon: Conservation Efforts Turn Sour as Villagers Battle Crop Destruction

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In Gabon, the forest elephant, a species at risk of extinction, benefits from exemplary conservation efforts. However, due to deforestation, these elephants increasingly encroach on villages and farms, becoming a significant nuisance.

Kango (Gabon), report

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With his machete, Jean-Baptiste Migolet slices through tall ferns. At his feet, his small dog, Soleil, darts through the damp undergrowth. The air is thick, laden with the scent of crushed leaves. “ The elephants passed through here three days ago ”, he whispers. He stops in his tracks. Before him lie the remnants of his plantation: “ Look at the taro, the bananas, the wild mango trees… They’ve destroyed everything. ”

At 67, Jean-Baptiste feels overwhelmed. “ This is my livelihood, how I send my children to school in Libreville. And now, everything is ruined. What am I supposed to do ? If I can’t eat what I grow, I have to find food elsewhere. ” Since his crops were devastated, he has resorted to buying rice from Asia and other imported goods.

In this part of Estuaire province in northwest Gabon, elephant incursions are becoming more frequent. All the villagers are affected. Although classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the elephant population in Gabon is growing, thanks to ambitious conservation policies.

The elephant is one of the country’s main symbols, a totem animal in several tribes, a draw for international tourists, and a major asset for securing international funding. Gabon is home to about 95,000 forest elephants, more than half of the world’s population.

For many rural communities, the damage caused by elephants in the fields is seen as a sign of a burgeoning population. However, according to Steeve Ngama, a researcher at Gabon’s Institute for Agricultural and Forestry Research and a specialist in sustainable wildlife management, it is primarily the degradation of their natural habitat that drives these animals closer to inhabited areas.

Gabon, a small Central African country with just over two million inhabitants, is covered almost 90% by forests. These wooded areas, once spared from human activity, provided a safe haven for elephants. But today, they are gradually being eroded by logging and poaching. “ The elephant no longer feels safe and is moving closer to the villages ”, the researcher observes.

It’s not overpopulation, he insists, but forced displacement, exacerbated by a lack of resources for managing large parks. “ Some national parks are nearly empty of surveillance due to lack of resources. In the northeast, in Minkébé, cross-border poaching has wiped out several thousand elephants in just a few years ”, he recalls.

Jean-Baptiste bought his house in 1985 and didn’t see an elephant for decades. He says everything changed about two years ago. “ They come right up to the houses. Where we fetch water, they wreak havoc. How are we supposed to live? ” he sighs. “When they come, we tremble. ” Between 2021 and 2023, thirty deaths in Gabon have been attributed to elephants, according to authorities.

“ A few days ago, my wife went to wash at the river. At 4 PM, an elephant found her there. She screamed, I rushed out. But what can I do? ” wonders Jean-Baptiste. “We are told to protect the animals. I say we need to protect humans first. This is my cry for help. ”

A few kilometers away, 64-year-old Justin Koumbi has experienced the same nightmare: “ It was hellish. We spent nights in the fields with drums and drumsticks. We lit fires everywhere. And still, they came as a family. They ate everything: yams, bananas, pineapples… Nothing was left. ” But his life changed when he received an electric fence. He opens the fence powered by a small solar panel, checks the current with his multimeter, and proudly shows off the 2,000 replanted banana trees. “ Since the fence was installed, we sleep peacefully. The elephants no longer come, and we can live off our land without fear. ”

Since 2022, these electric fences have been the solution provided by the Gabonese government to assist local populations. The government has partnered with the NGO Space for Giants. “ We have received over 3,000 official requests ”, says Éric Chiosky, national director of the NGO. To date, about 1,200 electric fences have been installed, covering only a small portion of the needs.

Each fence costs $4,000 (3,536 euros) — for the equipment, importation, reception, installation, and training — funded by the Gabonese government. The beneficiaries, like Justin, must perform regular maintenance. “ The enemy of an electric fence is the grass, he says. If it’s not cut, the current drops and the elephant can force its way through. ”

“ The electric fence isn’t a miracle solution, but rather a means to mitigate the problem, emphasizes Éric Chiosky. Agriculture is the main activity in rural areas. It is often practiced by elderly people, and more and more people are leaving the villages because of the elephants. So we needed to propose a technology that is simple to use and can meet the immediate needs of the population. ” He asserts that, according to their monitoring method, over 95% of the fences are effective against elephant incursions.

“ It’s an immediate response, but not a long-term strategy ”, adds Steeve Ngama. Recently, specialized brigades to combat human-wildlife conflicts have also been established. They are tasked with assessing the damages caused by elephants and providing responses, which can include authorizing a cull if an elephant poses a serious threat.

The elephant is primarily an ecological actor, referred to as the “ forest gardener ”, emphasizes Steeve Ngama. By moving long distances — sometimes up to 40 km a day — it spreads seeds, promotes the regeneration of plant species, and maintains ecosystem balance. “ The great Gabonese forest owes much to it ”, he insists. Therefore, greater involvement of foresters in its conservation is crucial. “ This animal isn’t inherently dangerous. It’s herbivorous and doesn’t attack humans unless threatened. But understanding its behaviors is key to better managing interactions. ”

According to the researcher, mutual ignorance is at the heart of the current crisis. In the past, farmers knew the seasons, the paths taken by elephants, and how to avoid confrontations. This traditional cohabitation has been disrupted by urbanization and logging, leaving no retreat for the elephants.

He advocates for an integrated strategy that combines education, equipped eco-guards, territorial planning, and recognition of ancient knowledge: behavior to adopt in the face of elephants, protection of crops during fruiting. “ The elephant is smart, learns quickly, tests weaknesses. And if it has no other choice, it will always find a way around the barrier ”, he asserts. The urgency, he believes, is to restore a culture of coexistence, to “ put people in a position to understand the animal ”, and to re-imagine the elephant in the collective memory as an ally, not a threat.