Women Farmers in Sumatra Use Citrus Fences to Keep Elephants Away

In the buffer zone of Tesso Nilo National Park on Sumatra, a women‑led group called Perbani has planted dense fences of citrus trees to deter the park’s roughly 150 Sumatran elephants from raiding oil palm crops. The initiative follows widespread deforestation and oil palm expansion that have removed more than three‑quarters of the park’s old‑growth forest, forcing elephants into frequent clashes with local communities. Villagers elsewhere have resorted to poison bait or electric fences, but Perbani’s citrus barrier has proven effective: a 33‑year‑old farmer, Ernita, reports that elephants no longer eat her oil palm fruits. The group also cultivates elephant‑friendly fruit trees such as jackfruit, cempedak, and stink beans. Yuliantony, executive director of the Tesso Nilo National Park Foundation, highlighted that women’s local ecological knowledge is often overlooked but crucial for conservation.