Sumatran Elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus)

Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 222529001

Protecting critical elephant habitat and preventing elephant population decline through community-based action for human-elephant co-existence in the Ulu Masen Forest.

This project will enable the Panga Pucok Mukim community, and the HEC Management Unit they have established, to implement actions to prevent and mitigate HEC, resulting in a 50% reduction in agricultural encroachment on primary forest and a 50% reduction in the number of cases of HEC, through: Management and monitoring of agricultural land-use according to the agreed community land-use plan to prevent agricultural encroachment into wildlife habitat through training of 10 Management Unit members and installation of 10 information panels. Protection of existing agricultural land to minimise crop damage from elephants through establishment of barriers of thorny and unpalatable plants along the habitat-agriculture interface. Demonstration of alternative livelihood strategies for farmers to reduce the potential for HEC through support for 10 farming families to establish integrated coffee and beehive fields generating coffee blossom honey and increasing coffee bean production and quality. Implementation of community-led mitigation responses to prevent damaging interactions with elephants through support and training of 10 Management Unit members to use guarding, warning and scaring tools and tactics. Dissemination of activities to government and community stakeholders to increase understanding, engagement and support through presentation to the Government HEC Mitigation Taskforce and display of posters in the community.