ElephantHorn und Tusk Elephant

Elephant patrol team
Horn und Tusk — Active Project

Elephant–Farmer Conflict
in South West Cameroon

⬤ Initial Setup Phase
The Conflict

Elephants actively come to the farmland that feeds Bakingili — destroying crops, driving families from their fields, and pushing a community toward hunger. This conflict has lasted almost a decade with no lasting solution.

This project exists to change that — restoring livelihoods and keeping elephants protected. Not one or the other. Both.

🐘
Elephants Protected
🌾
Farms Recovered
🥗
Food Security Restored
🌿
Community Sustained

Project Roadmap

A long-term effort in four phases — from building the foundation to delivering a permanent, community-owned solution.

📡
Phase 1 — Now
Field Partnership & Tools
Formalizing the partnership with local eco-guard teams. Acquiring thermal drones, camera traps, and laptops to understand elephant movement and improve team safety.
⬤ Active
🗺️
Phase 2
Data & Analysis
Building a full picture of elephant range, movement corridors, and conflict hotspots. A population census. Evidence-based identification of which deterrence solutions are viable.
Upcoming
🛡️
Phase 3
Permanent Solution
Deploying the solution identified by data — whatever the evidence points to. The goal is clear: return the majority of abandoned farmland to the community for good, while keeping elephants protected.
Upcoming
♻️
Phase 4
Sustainability & Ecotourism
Developing responsible ecotourism around the elephant population so that the community has an economic stake in conservation — making protection self-sustaining long term.
Long-term

The Conflict

The forest elephants of coastal Cameroon made a remarkable comeback from near-extinction — but their return brought them directly into the farmland that feeds Bakingili. Farms have been abandoned. Families have lost their livelihoods. Food insecurity has become chronic. The conflict has no lasting solution yet, and has now persisted for almost a decade.

Rag fire wall used to deter elephants

Rag "Fire Wall" — a temporary deterrent used nightly by farmers

The Community

Bakingili is a coastal village of around a thousand people, wedged between the Atlantic and the slopes of Mt. Cameroon. The sea provides fish. The rich volcanic soil provides ideal farmland. Both are essential to life here — and the elephant conflict has severed access to one of them for many families. This project centers the community as partners, not bystanders.

Bakingili Rapid Response Team

Bakingili Rapid Response Team

The Area

Located on the coast of South West Region, west of Limbe, the project area sits at the edge of the Mt. Cameroon National Park. The elephant sighting map below shows documented incursions into the village and farm zone — the scale of the daily encroachment is visible at a glance.

Elephant Sightings — tap a marker to learn more

Support Phase 1

Help Us Build the Foundation

Right now we are raising funds to acquire the tools that make everything else possible — thermal drones, camera traps, and laptops. Without data, there is no solution. With it, we can start building one that lasts.

♥ Help Support the Team