Capsicum Oleoresin as an Elephant Repellent: Field Trials in the Communal Lands of Zimbabwe

Elephants (Loxodonta africana) destroy subsistence crops and threaten the livelihoods of rural farmers across Africa. In an effort to formulate a nonlethal repellent and a method of application, tests were conducted with a capsicum oleoresin spray in the communal lands of Zimbabwe. The time taken to repel elephants from fields by farmers using methods currently available was compared with a capsicum oleoresin repellent. Elephants were repelled from fields significantly faster by the capsicum oleoresin spray than by traditional methods. A number of issues regarding crop loss due to elephants are discussed.