Gabonese Inspiring Wildlife
Last stronghold of Africa's critically endangered forest elephants, with a high rate of subsistence farmers, at high risk of food insecurity.
In 2010, the Gabon forest elephant population was 74,000, soaring to 95,000 by 2019. Over the past decade, the human-elephant conflict has steadily intensified. In collaboration with the Government of the Gabonese Republic, Space for Giants introduced an innovative solution designed for Gabonese subsistence farmers: the mobile electric fence. Space For Giants is actively addressing the challenges linked to human-elephant crisis, which negatively impacts subsistence farmers’ livelihood and the preservation of forest elephants.
689 fences have been installed, positively impacting 8,686 people.
Implementing fencing offers a practical and immediate solution to reduce crop raids caused by elephants.
Fencing is part of long-term solutions that promote coexistence and community development.
Gabonese agriculture is characterized by traditional shifting practices, managing several small fields among their known land tenure. The mobile electric fence proves to be a fitting response, providing an effective and dissuasive electric shock that acts as both a physical and psychological barrier for elephants. This method significantly minimizes crop damage while ensuring the well-being of the elephants, creating a more peaceful coexistence between humans and wildlife
The success of the innovative mobile-electric fences continues to safeguard Gabon's unique biodiversity and fosters sustainable practices for a safer and brighter environmental future.
Gabon is a unique and remarkably preserved ecosystem. Its inspiring wildlife consists of the continent's largest population of forest elephants, whose numbers continue to grow steadily despite habitat loss, poaching, and climate change. In recent years, the illegal ivory trade fueled the decline in the elephant population across most parts of Central Africa, except in Gabon. However, because of this, Gabon is globally recognized as the last stronghold for the critically endangered African forest elephants.
In 2019, 95,000 elephant individuals were recorded in Gabon. These are distributed across the country's nine provinces, specifically 47 of 48 departments. However, the concentration of elephants varies by region. High concentrations have been estimated in Ogooué Ivindo, Ogooué Maritime, Nyanga, the north of Ogooué Lolo, and the south of Estuaire. Favorable habitat conditions primarily influence the distribution of elephants throughout Gabon.