In News: Buoyed by the success of its innovative Project RE-HAB (Reducing Elephant-Human Attacks using Bees) in Karnataka, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has now replicated the project in Assam.
Surrounded by dense forests, a large part of Assam is infested by elephants with 332 human deaths reported between 2014 and 2019 due to elephant attacks.
What is Project Re-Hab?
Project RE-HAB (Reducing Elephant-Human Attacks using Bees)
Objective: To prevent elephant attacks in human habitations using honeybees.
It entails installing bee boxes along the periphery of the forest and the villages.
Under Project RE-HAB, “Bee-fences” are created by setting up bee boxes in the passage ways of elephants to block their entrance to human territories.
The boxes are connected with a string so that when elephants attempt to pass through, a tug or pull causes the bees to swarm the elephant herds and dissuade them from progressing further.
It is a cost-effective way of reducing human-wild conflicts without causing any harm to the animals. It is scientifically recorded that elephants are annoyed by the honey bees.
It is believed that elephants’ fear of the bees will prevent them from transgressing into human landscape.
Project Re-HAB is a sub-mission of the KVIC’s National Honey Mission.
Project RE-HAB was launched at 11 locations in Kodagu district of Karnataka on 15th March 2021. In just 6 months, this project has reduced elephant attacks by over 70%.
