LIVING WITH GIANTS: TACKLING HUMAN-ELEPHANT CONFLICT IN KIDEPO 

Kidepo Valley National Park is home to one of Uganda’s largest elephant populations - an estimated 1,000 individuals roaming across vast savannas, ancient migration routes, and community lands. But as elephant numbers remain stable and human settlements expand, conflict is on the rise. Farmers lose crops overnight, homes and water sources are damaged, and in some cases, lives are at risk. Without solutions, these tensions could undermine both conservation and local livelihoods.

The Kidepo Human-Elephant Conflict Project is taking a proactive, science-driven approach to promote coexistence. A combination of wildlife barriers, rapid response teams, tracking technology, and community-led solutions will help reduce conflict while preserving Kidepo’s elephants as a key part of the landscape.

The initiative will deploy targeted electric fencing in high-risk areas, ensuring protection for farmlands while maintaining key elephant corridors. GPS collars and real-time monitoring systems will track elephant movements, enabling early-warning alerts and better conflict prevention. On the ground, specially trained rapid response teams will use non-lethal deterrents - such as firecrackers, lights, and drones - to safely guide elephants away from settlements. Perhaps most critically, community education and engagement programs will equip local people with practical tools to mitigate conflict while fostering long-term support for conservation.

This collaborative effort is being led by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), in partnership with conservation organizations specializing in elephant monitoring, conflict mitigation, and community engagement. WildLandscapes is supporting the initiative by mobilizing resources, strengthening partnerships, and ensuring long-term sustainability.

At its core, this project is about balance. Elephants are keystone species, shaping the environment through seed dispersal and habitat creation. Their survival is essential for the health of Kidepo’s ecosystem. But for conservation to succeed, local communities must also benefit. By reducing human-elephant conflict, this project will help create a future where both wildlife and people thrive side by side.

With an ambitious multi-year plan in place, the Kidepo Human-Elephant Conflict Project is set to become a model for how conservation and communities can work together to protect on of Africa’s last great wildernesses.