Saved by the bee: The unlikely solution to Africa's elephant problem

By Thomas Page, for CNN

Updated 1245 GMT (2045 HKT) August 12, 2016

Farmers in some African countries are moving into new territories located on the elephant's natural migration routes, causing friction between man and beast -- sometimes with deadly consequences.
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Farmers in some African countries are moving into new territories located on the elephant's natural migration routes, causing friction between man and beast -- sometimes with deadly consequences.
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Exploring solutions, environmental researcher Lucy King has implemented her doctoral research, using bees as a deterrent to elephants who have in the past destroyed crops and agricultural equipment.
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Exploring solutions, environmental researcher Lucy King has implemented her doctoral research, using bees as a deterrent to elephants who have in the past destroyed crops and agricultural equipment.
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King's solution, the beehive fence, combines real and dummy beehives full of African honey bees. Triggered by a simple wire fence the hives are disturbed, swinging and releasing irate bees upon elephants.
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King's solution, the beehive fence, combines real and dummy beehives full of African honey bees. Triggered by a simple wire fence the hives are disturbed, swinging and releasing irate bees upon elephants.
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Twelve to 15 hives can protect an area between 1.5 and 2 acres -- the size of the sustenance farms King is targeting.
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Twelve to 15 hives can protect an area between 1.5 and 2 acres -- the size of the sustenance farms King is targeting.
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An elephant attempts to negotiate a beehive fence wire at night. Bees are known to sting elephants in the trunk, around the eyes and mouth.
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