Elephants' fear of bees helps protect them

OXFORD, England, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- British researchers have determined African elephants' fear of angry bees might provide a low-tech elephant deterrent and conservation measure.

University of Oxford scientists, led by Lucy King, found a significant majority of African elephants fled immediately after hearing the sound of bees, suggesting that perhaps even their buzz alone might keep elephants at bay.

"We weren't surprised that they responded to the threatening sound of disturbed bees, as elephants are intelligent animals that are intimately aware of their surroundings," said King "But we were surprised at how quickly they responded to the sounds by running away. Almost half of our study herds started to move away within 10 seconds of the bee playback."

King cautioned the use of beehives to manage elephants might prove to have limited application and that more research is needed.

"But if we could use bees to reduce elephant crop raiding and tree destruction, while at the same time enhancing local income through the sale of honey, this could be a significant and valuable step towards sustainable human-elephant coexistence," she said.

The study appears in the journal Current Biology.