On the edge of Tesso Nilo National Park in Sumatra, women from the Perbani group have solved a problem that for decades strained relations between people and wildlife. Instead of poisons or electric fences, they planted dense rows of citrus trees — oranges, limes, calamansi, and kaffir lime. Elephants apparently avoid the sharp scent of these plants, and oil palm harvests now remain intact.
The park has lost more than three-quarters of its old forest due to logging and plantations. The remaining approximately 150 Sumatran elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus) are forced to seek food closer to human settlements. Conflicts led to animal deaths and crop damage. The Perbani group in the village of Lubuk Kembang Bunga chose a different path: citrus hedges around field perimeters and, elsewhere, plantings of elephant-favored trees — jackfruit, chempedak, and petai beans.
The women not only protect their farms but also earn additional income from selling citrus. Trees are planted at a distance of one and a half meters, creating agroforestry plots. According to participant Ernita, elephants used to destroy palm fruits, and trees had to be replanted five times; now this no longer happens. The group also conducts monthly leadership trainings and a savings and loan program for more than thirty participants.
Sociologist at the University of Riau, Mita Rosaliza, notes that Perbani shows that women are not victims of conflicts but creative problem solvers. In 2024, the initiative received official recognition from Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry. This approach combines protection of a rare species with strengthening local communities and does not require expensive technology.
Such solutions rely on observations of animal behavior and local knowledge that often remain outside the attention of large programs. Citrus hedges not only deter elephants but also provide people with useful fruits, and plantings of fodder trees create zones of peaceful coexistence. This turns confrontation into a system of mutual benefit.
The Perbani experience shows that simple, nature-based barriers can reduce human-wildlife tension where traditional methods only exacerbate the problem.
