Druid Hill Park in Baltimore, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Living with Elephants
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"Projects such as chili pepper fences or beehive fences are in my opinion the answer to human-elephant conflict. Empowering the community so that they feel they can live alongside wildlife can change attitudes in an instant."
James Stevens, EPA Elephant Researcher
The farming village of Khumaga is located just across the Boteti River from Makgadikgadi National Park in Botswana. Many farmers from Khumaga have discovered elephants in their fields, trampling or eating their crops. To the farmers, this is devastating. It endangers their livelihood and threatens their families. Naturally, they react to elephants with dismay, anger, and even revenge rather than admiration.
So how do you change minds, build tolerance, and promote coexistence with elephants?
By finding a way to keep elephants out of farmers' fields! In 2016, Elephants for Africa proposed a novel solution to the farmers of Khumaga, which they have increasingly embraced: chili-pepper bricks.
Why do chili pepper fences keep elephants out?
Elephants have very sensitive trunks, coated with mucus membranes. The smell of chili pepper and smoke from burning chili pepper bricks irritate the inner lining of an elephant's trunk. This is why chili pepper is an effective
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Animals • Environment • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 2016.
Location. 39° 19.449′ N, 76° 38.514′ W. Marker is in Baltimore, Maryland. It is in Druid Hill Park. It is on Silver Spring Drive east of Elephant Landing, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Baltimore MD 21211, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Maryland. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: African Savannah Elephant (here, next to this marker); Tipping the Balance (a few steps from this marker); An Innovative Partnership (within shouting distance of this marker); Family Matters (within shouting distance of this marker); Ghosts of the forest (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Saving Okapi (about 400 feet away); Living with Cheetahs (about 500 feet away); American Tennis Association, Inc. (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Baltimore.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 28, 2021. It was originally submitted on December 28, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 171 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 28, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
