ABSTRACT

Human–elephant conflict (HEC) is a common problem for rural populations in sub-Saharan Africa. Recent studies have shown that willingness to tolerate wildlife is largely a function of perceived risks and benefits, but most technical assessments are limited to the immediate cause of the conflict and neglect the broader socioeconomic and political contexts. Based on two sets of interviews, this article provides a socioeconomic analysis of HEC in the buffer zone of Chimanimani National Reserve in Mozambique. Although traditional methods to scare off elephants were found to have little effect, a beehive fence introduced in 2016 initially appeared to be successful. However, follow-up three years later showed that results were controversial and HEC was even more acute. Underlying factors include the failure to establish a common understanding between the local population and authorities about the risks versus benefits involved and the elements for an acceptable solution.

摘要

人象冲突 (HEC) 是撒哈拉以南非洲农村人口的常见问题。最近的研究表明，容忍野生动物的意愿在很大程度上取决于感知的风险和收益，但大多数技术评估仅限于冲突的直接原因，而忽略了更广泛的社会经济和政治背景。本文基于两组访谈，对莫桑比克奇马尼马尼国家保护区缓冲区内的 HEC 进行了社会经济分析。尽管发现传统的吓跑大象的方法效果不大，但 2016 年推出的蜂巢围栏最初似乎是成功的。然而，三年后的随访表明，结果存在争议，HEC 更为严重。