Chilli Defence Project

eleCREW works directly with local communities affected by Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC). We aim to improve the lives of these communities and aid greater coexistence with the wildlife that they live side by side with.

What have we done so far?

Elephant CREW, in collaboration with Connected Conservation, has pioneered innovative chili interventions to deter African elephants from raiding community crops, mitigating serious human-elephant conflicts. Using chili bricks, chili fences, and a chili gun, we work alongside local communities to prevent fatal confrontations and protect valuable resources from elephant raids.

African Elephants do not have a high tolerance for hot chillis. Working with our partners at Connected Conservation who pioneered Chilli interventions, Elephant CREW use a variety of chilli deterrence to discourage elephants from raiding community crops which can lead to serious elephant/human conflict.

The heat of a chilli is measured in Scovilles. A standard Tabasco sauce is around 7000 Scovilles. The Chilli resin used to deter elephants and protect trees and borehole equipment is around 1,000,000 (one million) Scovilles! It is hot!

Using a variety of techniques including chilli bricks, chilli fences (resin coated rope), chilli gun (a ping pong ball filled with chilli) Elephant CREW work with local communities to deter elephants and avoid fatal confrontations between elephants and people competing for scarce food resource.