Are the elephants harmed in any way by this project?

Are the elephants harmed in any way by this project?

Absolutely not. In fact, preventing harm to elephants is at the very heart of what we do.

A Completely Non-Harmful Solution: The sunflower borders are a natural, gentle deterrent. Elephants simply find the plants unpleasant due to their rough, bristly texture and choose to walk around them rather than push through. There is no pain, injury, or distress involved—the elephants merely decide to take a different path.

Avoiding Dangerous Alternatives: Before Elephants in Bloom, farmers facing devastating crop losses sometimes resorted to harmful methods to protect their livelihoods, including:

• Poisoning elephants

• Electric fences that can injure or kill

• Spears or other weapons used in confrontations

• Shooting elephants perceived as threats

These tragic responses put elephants—an endangered species—at serious risk while also endangering farmers and their families during dangerous nighttime confrontations.

Why This Matters: Our sunflower solution eliminates the desperation that leads to these harmful practices. When farmers can protect their crops effectively with a natural barrier, there's no reason to hurt elephants. The sunflowers allow both species to thrive in the same landscape without conflict.

Conservation Through Coexistence: By keeping elephants safe and well-fed in their natural habitat while protecting farmer livelihoods, we're proving that people and wildlife can coexist peacefully. The elephants continue their natural behaviors—including important roles in seed dispersal and ecosystem maintenance—without coming to harm.

This is conservation that works for everyone: farmers, elephants, and the entire Maasai Mara ecosystem.