In news
Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), launched a unique project of creating “bee-fences” to mitigate human – elephant conflicts in the country.
Objective
The objective of Project RE-HAB (Reducing Elephant – Human Attacks using Bees) is to thwart elephant attacks in human habitations using honey bees and thus reducingloss of lives of both, humans as well as elephants.
Details
- The pilot project was launched at four locations around village Chelur in Kodagu district of Karnataka on 15th March, 2021 by KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena.
- These spots are located on the periphery of Nagarhole National Park and Tiger Reserve and prone to human-elephant conflicts. The total cost of the RE-HAB project is just Rs. 15 lakh.
- Project RE-HAB is a sub-mission under KVIC’s National Honey Mission.
- The Honey Mission is a programme to increase the bee population, honey production and beekeepers’ income by setting up apiaries, Project RE-HAB uses bee boxes as a fence to prevent the attack of elephants.
Honey Mission
- KVIC has set up 15-20 interspersed bee boxes at each of the four locationsin the passage ways of elephant-human conflict zones to block the entrance of elephants to human habitations.
- 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.
- Bee boxes have been placed on the ground as well as hung from the trees to block the passage of elephants.
- High resolution, night vision cameras have been installed at strategic points to record the impact of bees on elephants and their behavior in these zones.
Source: PIB
