Sacred but destructive: how zimbabwe farmers and elephants are learning to coexist

In northwestern Zimbabwe, elephants hold a paradoxical place in local communities—revered as sacred totems yet feared as crop raiders who can destroy a family’s livelihood in a single night. This complex relationship highlights one of conservation’s most challenging dilemmas: how to protect wildlife while supporting the communities that share their habitat.

Research by Agripa Ngorima in the village of Simangani reveals just how conditional local support for elephant conservation really is. When presented with scenarios where elephants provided tangible benefits—such as meat, materials for traditional crafts, or employment in the safari industry—only 20% of residents supported culling or relocating the animals. However, when elephants brought only costs like crop damage and property destruction, that number skyrocketed to 88%. Most tellingly, 92% of respondents said they were unwilling to participate in conservation efforts without receiving financial benefits from the elephants’ presence.

The challenge is intensified by elephants’ extensive range. Tracking data from collared elephants shows some animals roaming more than 200 kilometers from Hwange National Park, freely crossing into communal farming areas where families depend on their crops for survival. While government and NGO programs have introduced creative solutions—teaching villagers about elephant behavior and promoting chile pepper cultivation as a natural deterrent—the most effective protection remains elusive. Physical fencing around fields works best but remains financially out of reach for most households, leaving them vulnerable to these massive nocturnal visitors who can demolish months of hard work in hours.