Elephants Alive | Bees, trees, elephants and education

Finding new ways to protect big trees from elephant damage, Elephants Alive is taking its beehive project to new heights. By suspending beehives in the branches of iconic African trees such as marula trees, the Hoedspruit-based organisation is helping with conservation efforts, while reducing human-elephant conflict.

large tree species, as elephants often strip bark off their trunks and affect tree survival rates. Since 2004, Elephants Alive has been studying the impact of this damage, monitoring over 3000 trees – including those with chicken-wire wrapped around the trunk, and those with beehives suspended from their branches.