Wild Survivors

Home
Tanzania
Arusha
Wild Survivors

Promoting human-elephant coexistence in East Africa using sustainable initiatives and wildlife tech, powered by communities! Elephants are at the heart of this.

Join us to protect wildlife, people and ecosystems! Wild Survivors is a small organisation, with huge ambitions. Did you know, one elephant is killed every 15 minutes across Africa? If action against the ivory trade is not taken, and communities are not empowered as advocates for these magnificent creatures, they could be extinct by 2025. They are mercilessly hunted every day for their tusks, to f

eed the greed of others. Large ivory markets in China, Japan, and the United States fuel a constant demand for this horrific market. But there's a silent killer of these megafauna: Human-Elephant Conflict. We focus our work on creating harmony between wildlife and rural communities. Daily crop raids by migrating elephants is devastating for farming communities in Tanzania who rely solely on their crops for income. In retaliation to losing their crops, elephants are attacked, or killed, often through poisoning to prevent farm raids. Humans and elephants are dying when they don't need to. We have a working, low-tech solution to his historic problem: Bees! Elephants are scared of bees, and will avoid them at all costs. Working with villagers, we help to install beehive fences around the front perimeter of farms along roaming routes. Elephants will not cross the fence when they disturb it and realise bees are present. This is a method based on the successful work by Dr Lucy King, in Kenya. We have replicated Dr. King's technique, and with her expert guidance, are rolling the beehive fences out to communities in desperate need, along the border of Tarangire National Park. Farmers learn a new skill in beekeeping, which also provides a sustainable livelihood through the harvesting and sales of organic, raw honey. Education is paramount. Villagers can learn about the importance of elephants to their ecosystem and local economy with tourism. Elephants are saved from attack, with crucial migration corridors preserved, and farmer's crops protected. Bees pollinate crops and act as a natural deterrent to the elephants. It's a win-win solution! Find out more, and to sponsor a beehive, or a farmer's beekeeping training visit:
www.wildsurvivors.org
www.wildsurvivors.org/donate

08/03/2026

Coexistence with elephants doesn’t begin with technology or fences…
It begins with the women whose farms and families are part of these landscapes every day.

This International Women’s Day, we celebrate the women across Tanzania who are helping shape a future where people and elephants can nurture the landscapes they share together.

Along the Serengeti boundary, women farmers face the dangerous reality of guarding their farms from determined bull elephants each night. Through their unity and support for one another, they have come together to lead the solutions; managing beehive fences, cultivating coexistence gardens, and sharing knowledge with neighbouring communities about how to farm more safely alongside wildlife.

These stories reached the Rukwa–Katavi ecosystem, where a network of women’s groups have now begun their own beekeeping enterprises that strengthen livelihoods while helping protect the forests and corridors elephants depend on.

We are especially proud of Esther, our Beekeeping & Livelihoods Officer, whose dedication and passion supports women across these landscapes as they build skills, confidence and enterprises of their own. Her leadership continues to strengthen the women’s groups at the heart of this work ❤️

Thank you to the women walking this path with us, and to women everywhere leading change through courage, compassion and resilience! 🐘🌱✨

.eco

15/12/2025

We recently travelled to Nairobi and Tsavo with Save the Elephants, for an inspiring three days completing their HEC Toolkot ToT course!

We spent time with farmers, conservation teams and community groups who live with human–elephant conflict every single day. Hearing farmers talk about how beehive fences now protect their crops, how chilli fences mean they can finally sleep at night, or how sunflower fields no longer attract elephants has really stayed with us and strengthened our own HEC methodologies.
It was a reminder that coexistence is not just theory, it is something people are living and working on, every day.

We walked through farms, climbed watchtowers, visited honey processing hubs, and listened to honest stories of loss, resilience and hope. Seeing these various tools in action deepened our knowledge and experience. But more than the tools, it was the people that really stood out to us - the patience, teamwork and determination it takes to keep these solutions going over time.

We’re heading home inspired and motivated. We also made new connections and friendships with people like Prince Zhuwakinyu () and Sam from .conservation in , and teams from in and the Mt. Elgon Elephant Project in Kenya. Being together reminded us why this work matters, as a collaborative effort - protecting rural livelihoods, while making space for elephants to move safely across shared landscapes.

A huge thank you to and the communities for the warmth, openness and knowledge they shared with us. Asanteni sana!

~ Owen Oliver, HEC Coordinator, Wild Survivors Tanzania

08/12/2025

Last week our team joined the 15th Scientific Conference in , with Owen and Masaka welcoming many researchers, government partners and organisations to the booth!

We had many energising conversations and interesting questions about:
🐝 what really makes beehive fences effective
🐘 how we measure elephant incursions and conflict
🌱 women-led enterprise models
📷 new technology like camera traps
🌾 bee science, elephant behaviour & coexistence

A huge thank you to TAWIRI, and everyone who stopped by to connect with us and share ideas. We left feeling inspired by the curiosity and commitment around human–elephant coexistence.

We’re already looking forward to returning next year and sharing new findings from our beehive fence research across Ngorongoro, Serengeti and Rukwa–Katavi.

📷: Owen & Masaka during the conference

Interested in learning more about how our Coexistence in Action Framework works on the ground?
➡️ Visit wildsurvivors.org or send us a message to connect.

02/10/2025

Dr Jane Goodall revealed to the world that animals have rich inner lives; with emotions, intelligence, and relationships of their own. Beginning here in the forests of Tanzania, her discoveries forever changed how we understand our connection to the natural world.

As a global messenger of peace and a tireless advocate for people, wildlife, and the planet, she showed us that all life is interconnected. Challenging the injustices and destructive practices that harm people and the planet.
Her courage, kindness, and unshakable hope continue to guide us; and it is now up to all of us to carry her mission forward. To respect, protect, and live in harmony with the wild world we share 🌍💚🕊️

Thank you, Jane, for the wisdom, love and courage you leave with us.

Images by Michael Nichols, Vanne Goodall (National Geographic), Ben Liew,

12/08/2025

✨Today is for the elephants! 🐘
They shape the land, carry the memory of generations, and share their home with people whose lives are deeply connected to theirs.

Which fact is your favourite? Our team has been sharing what they love most about elephants! The things that inspire us to protect them, and to keep finding ways for people and elephants to thrive together. From their role in creating forests and grasslands, to their family bonds, to the quiet moments when they surprise you with their gentleness. Swipe to watch all!

Coexistence is possible. Every day, communities on the frontlines are proving it, and with your support, we can keep it that way.

🐘💛 Watch, share, and help protect the future of elephants and the people who live alongside them. Please consider donating to help us reach conflict hotspots faster > link in bio. Asante sana!

.massay

30/07/2025

Something special is coming… 🐘
In two weeks, just in time for World Elephant Day, we’ll be sharing something we’ve poured our hearts into.
It’s rooted in community, inspired by the elephants who guide this work, and made to carry this movement forward 🌍

12th August. Stay close. 🐘🐘🐘

10/07/2025

A journey to Tanzania’s Wild West with our long-time partners, 🐘

In June, we were delighted to host and for an immersive visit across the Rukwa-Katavi landscape - a mosaic of protected areas, forest reserves, and community land where the future of elephant connectivity is being shaped by local leadership.

Co-hosted with FZS Greater Mahale Ecosystem team, the visit began within the Katavi-Mahale corridor, before continuing with ECF to explore our community-led projects bordering Katavi National Park and Mpimbwe WMA.

Together with farmers, women’s groups, local officials, and district leaders, we explored what long-term coexistence really takes - walking the landscape, listening, learning, and strategising together.

Key takeaways from the visit:
🛡 A shared commitment to strengthen protection of PAs and buffer zones, from Mahale to Rukwa
🐝 Farmer-led rollout of HEC toolkits - beehive fences, watch towers, olfactory deterrents
🌾 Women’s Enterprise groups driving economic resilience and crop protection
🌍 Momentum for landscape-wide connectivity and collaboration
🐘 A critical opportunity to preserve the remaining intact elephant corridors in western Tanzania

We’re especially grateful to Lucy and Jane for their insight, energy, and encouragement - from walking with HEC Ambassadors and women’s beekeepers, to planning elephant monitoring strategies that will shape the future of this landscape.

Thank you, , for believing in our vision - and to .zoological.society for your ongoing partnership. We’re proud to walk this path together with the communities leading the way for elephant coexistence.

20/05/2025

🌟 HAPBEE WORLD BEE DAY! 🐝
Although, if elephants had a calendar, they probably wouldn’t celebrate World Bee Day.

Because for all their size and strength, elephants are famously afraid of bees, particularly the stinging species that defend their hives with force. And it’s that natural avoidance behaviour that makes bees such effective peacekeepers in our coexistence work.

By placing beehives around farms in high-conflict areas, we create a gentle but powerful deterrent, one that protects both crops and elephants without confrontation. A sound as simple as a buzzing swarm is often enough to keep elephants from entering a farm.

Across Tanzania, this protection is being driven by women. They’re managing hives, restoring land, harvesting honey, and showing how coexistence can be built through partnership, with bees and each other.

While honeybees play a starring role in this story, today we also recognise the many other pollinators working quietly across Tanzania’s forests, fields, and wildlife corridors. Solitary bees, carpenter bees, leafcutters, and more, each plays a role in supporting healthy ecosystems and resilient food systems.

Yet much remains unknown. Research is still uncovering the diversity and ecological significance of native and solitary bee species across Tanzania. Protecting them means protecting the plants, wildlife, and people that depend on them.

So today, we celebrate all bees, the stingers, the shy ones, the swarming defenders and the silent pollinators. Each a vital part of the landscape we share!

🐝 Which is your favourite bee & why? Share in the comments! 👇

07/04/2025

🐝 Meet Esther - Champion of Bees, Women & Wildlife!

Since joining Wild Survivors in June 2024, Esther Silbert has been at the heart of our work in the Rukwa-Katavi Ecosystem, supporting women and communities to build more resilient, nature-based livelihoods that promote coexistence with elephants.

Whether she’s checking beehives in the field or meeting with District officers and park rangers, Esther brings compassion, knowledge, and a deep belief in the power of local action to create lasting change.

Learn more about Esther with her Q&A! 👇

1️⃣ What’s something about your role people might not know?
➡️ It is not just about beekeeping - I work to empower women and support communities in finding sustainable solutions!

2️⃣ Funniest or most unexpected moment at work?
➡️ Seeing an elephant fail to cross a beehive fence because of a super-aggressive bee colony! 🐘❌🐝

3️⃣ Morning person or night owl?
➡️ Morning person! 🌞

4️⃣ Favourite food?
➡️ Rice and beans 🍛

5️⃣ Favourite hobby?
➡️ Watching nature documentaries on Safari Channel & Planet Channel!

7️⃣ Favourite sound in nature?
➡️ The buzzing of bees! 🐝

8️⃣ If you could be an animal, which one would you be and why?
➡️ A zebra - I love their black and white colours, and they’re so cool and connected to nature 🦓

9️⃣ Something you’ve learned at Wild Survivors that surprised you?
➡️ That bees - my friends - are powerful enough to deter elephants! It’s amazing how such a small creature can move such large animals! 🐘

🔟 Favourite thing about working with elephants and nature?
➡️ I’ve learned that small actions lead to big change. Watching elephants follow their leader has also taught me to be respectful and patient.

1️⃣1️⃣ One thing people can do to help elephants, bees and conservation?
➡️ Support sustainable practices, protect natural habitats, and raise community awareness about the relationship between people and nature!

Esther’s work is an important reminder that effective conservation is rooted in community, care, and connection to the land. Drop a 🐝 or 🐘 in the comments to show your support!

17/03/2025

How are farmers mediating conflict with elephants in NW Serengeti? A location known for high human fatalities to elephant charges…

In mid-2023, Wild Survivors began working in north-west Serengeti following urgent requests from communities facing intense human-elephant conflict. After mapping conflict hotspots with farmers in Mbilikili and Biasarara, we launched HEC workshops to introduce sustainable, community-led solutions.

Through practical training sessions, farmers have learned how to implement effective deterrents such as chilli bricks, smelly elephant repellent, and both chilli and beehive fences. These techniques not only help prevent elephants from entering farmland but also empower communities to take ownership of solutions that protect their crops, livelihoods, and safety.

Our trained HEC Ambassadors collect patrol data on all elephant incidents, helping to refine and adapt these deterrents while supporting farmers in the long-term adoption of coexistence strategies. By providing the tools and knowledge for lasting protection, we are working together to create a safer future for both people and elephants along this critical conflict boundary.

Fast forward to today—chilli trials have evolved into longer-term beehive fences and the formation of two Women’s Beekeeping Groups in the Maasai communities of Biasarara and Mbilikili! Stay tuned for updates on these exciting programmes.

We are hugely grateful to our Conservation Partner for facilitating this effective partnership with both villages, and their logistical and financial support to see this essential programme take root.

08/03/2025

🐝🌿 Celebrating the Matriarchs of Conservation this International Women’s Day 🌿🐘

It all began with Yasinta and the NARI Women’s Group in Upper Kitete, whose dedication to beekeeping, sustainable farming, and community resilience sparked a movement. Their success inspired the neighbouring SAHHTI women in Kitete, and now this wave of empowerment is reaching women in Katavi - each group carrying deep knowledge of their landscapes and the unique challenges of living alongside elephants.

These women are not only guardians of their environment but also architects of change, leading initiatives that promote coexistence with elephants through beekeeping, permaculture, and micro-loans. Their strength echoes through generations, much like the elephant matriarchs who guide their herds with wisdom and care, and the worker bees who collectively protect and nurture their colony.

Through unity and innovation, they are restoring habitats, protecting migration corridors, and inspiring the next generation to follow in their footsteps. This International Women’s Day, we honour their courage, dedication, and the ripple effect of empowered women shaping a more just and biodiverse world.

To all the women who lead, nurture, and inspire - this day is for you! 💛

24/02/2025

📍 Strategic Collaboration for Human-Elephant Coexistence! 🐘🌿

Last week, Wild Survivors and .zoological.society Greater Mahale Ecosystem team convened for crucial strategic meetings to address human-elephant conflict (HEC) and the protection of the Katavi-Mahale Corridor - a vital landscape for the elephants, for wider biodiversity and community resilience.

Bringing together expertise, learnings, and bold ideas for collaboration, we explored plans for a standardised HEC framework - designed for landscape-level adoption, informed by local context, community participation, and key stakeholders across the Mlele, Nsimbo, Nkasi, and Tanganyika Districts, alongside , TANAPA, TAWA, and TAWIRI.

🌱 Highlights included:
🔹 Illuminating presentations from Baraka Naftal (TAWIRI), Agraphina Cletus (FZS), and Francesca Mahoney (Wild Survivors)
🔹 Lively discussions on adaptive HEC management, challenges, and opportunities
🔹 A shared commitment to effective, scalable solutions for people and wildlife

The energy, participation, and constructive dialogue have paved the way for a stronger, more coordinated approach to coexistence. We are hugely encouraged by the momentum and look forward to shaping a model that can support efforts across the country. Thank you to the FZS team for all your support and coordination!

Together, we move forward towards a future where people and elephants can thrive. 🌍✨

Address

Old Moshi
Arusha

Website

https://www.wildsurvivors.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Wild Survivors posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Wild Survivors:

Shortcuts

Want your organization to be the top-listed Non Profit Organization in Arusha?

Our Story

Wild Survivors is a UK registered charity (no. 1165732).

We’re a proactive, community-led elephant conservation org, with huge ambitions! Did you know, one elephant is killed every 15 minutes across Africa? If action against the ivory trade is not taken, and communities are not empowered as advocates for these magnificent creatures, they could be extinct by 2025. They are mercilessly hunted every day for their tusks, to feed the greed of others. Large ivory markets in China, Japan, and the United States fuel a constant demand for this horrific market. But there's a silent killer of these megafauna: Human-Elephant Conflict. We focus our work on combatting this complex issue, by creating harmony and tolerance between wildlife and rural communities, living in close proximity to one another.

Nightly crop raids by migrating elephants is devastating for farming communities in Tanzania who rely solely on their crops for income. In retaliation to losing their crops, elephants are attacked, or killed, often through poisoning to prevent farm raids, as farmers are left with no other means to protect their livelihood.

Humans and elephants are dying when they don't need to. We have a working, sustainable solution to his historic problem: Bees! Elephants are scared of bees, and will avoid them at all costs. Working with villagers, we help to install beehive fences around the front perimeter of farms along roaming routes. Elephants will not cross the fence when they disturb it and realise bees are present.