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A group of farmers in Koh Kong province are seeking the help of Wildlife Alliance experts to fend off encroaching elephants destroying their crops.
Over the past few weeks, the elephants have been damaging farmlands in Kiri Sakor district.
In Kongchit, provincial co-ordinator for rights group Licadho, said the area was once covered with forests prior to being marked as an economic land concession.
“The area was previously forested, but it was given to a private Chinese company by the environment ministry and people came to live and plant on the land,” he said, noting the elephants called the area home first.
“The elephants have not caused any danger to the people yet, but they have destroyed farmland,” he said.
“In the past few days, they came to the village almost every day. I have reported it to the Wildlife Alliance.”
An officer with the Wildlife Alliance confirmed that he has received a report about the elephants and intends to send a team to advise villagers on how to fend off the beasts.
“The solution can be sedating drugs, but will we recommend they grow plants that prevent the elephants from coming, like chilli,” he said.
“But because it is a place where the people invaded, it is natural for the elephants to fight back.”