As humans increasingly dominate the landscape through building homes, farms, highways, etc, the territories of wildlife are getting smaller and smaller. Animals are finding themselves in what are now our backyards as they are trying to satisfy their own needs for food, shelter, water, and finding mates. Elephants in Malaysia are no exception. Dr. Nurzhafarina Othman is a Bornean Elephant researcher and founder of the organization Seratu Aatai whose mission is to create a society that is willing and capable of protecting and coexisting with elephants and other wildlife. We talk about how teaching people about wildlife's behavior has helped increase tolerance of their presence, what has helped her the most in protecting the animals, and her thoughts on the palm oil industry (they might surprise you!).

Highlights

• Why human-to-human conflict may be the bigger issue compared to human-wildlife conflict?
• The importance of understanding animal behavior where you live.
• How the palm oil industry can be an asset.

What YOU Can Do

• Awareness is important! Learn more about the Malaysian elephants and share that knowledge with those you know.
• Palm oil is found everywhere, from the daily soap you use to the delicious Nutella you spread on your toast. Seek out the products that use certified palm oil. This creates a demand that the companies can hear loud and clear.
• When visiting Malaysia, choose responsible tours that let you view wild elephants at a distance. Getting too close can change their behavior which can be dangerous for both you and them.
• Create a wildlife neighborhood watch team. Learn about the wildlife in your area and share resources with your neighbors to develop a communal sense of pride and acceptance of the other beings that share your space.
• Support the work being done by researchers like Dr. Farina.

Resources

• Seratu Aatai 
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter 

Use EXGREEN20 discount code and receive a 20% discount to a full week or single day for the Congress of Conference registration!

Want a free guide to help you become a force for nature? Get it HERE!

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, rate, and review it! This helps to boost its visibility.

Hit me up on Instagram and Facebook and let me know what actions you have been taking. Adopting just one habit can be a game-changer because imagine if a billion people also adopted that!

What difference for the world are you going to make today?

No matter where we are in the world, we share the planet with wildlife. 

You may only see squirrels or birds when you take the dog out or head to the office, but these creatures are still classed as wildlife. Some listeners will regularly encounter raccoons, coyotes, bears, snakes, monkeys, jackals, possums, and more. 

In this episode of The Animal Guide for Curious Humans, host Maureen Armstrong talks with Meg Toom, principal of Serratus Wildlife Services in British Columbia, Canada.  Meg specializes in human-wildlife conflict mitigation. She works with communities and governments to develop strategies to reduce negative human-wildlife encounters. This can involve education and outreach programs as well as the creation of policies and bylaws that help keep both humans and animals safe. Meg is also an avid outdoors person.

Meg’s passion for this work grew out of tragedy when, in 2004, 27 bears were killed as part of a bear conflict management program in the community in which she lived. Right then, she decided to become part of a volunteer program to build awareness around animal care and wildlife, a step that led her to work full-time in this field.  

Preventing wildlife-human conflict

Education is the key to preventing wildlife-human conflict. Humans attract wildlife into urban areas, but typically, it’s wildlife that pay with their lives. 

Urban sprawl and our interest in recreating in nature mean encounters with wildlife are on the rise.  How can we make those encounters positive interactions rather than harmful conflicts?  

In this episode we explore certain species of wildlife common in North America, the types of interactions that occur, and how to avoid conflict with them.  Particular emphasis is placed on black and grizzly bears 

What about wolves?

In our next episode, Maureen continues the conversation with Meg to explore wolves - a particularly important subject for our listeners in Western Canada and the American Northwest - before moving on to discuss a framework for wildlife conflict prevention that can be applied wherever you live in the world and no matter what species of wildlife you are likely to encounter.  Please join us for it.

Episode Links and resources:

• Meg Toom on LinkedIn
• How to use bear spray (7-minute video worth watching)
• WildSafeBC
• BC Ministry of Environment Wildlife Conflict
• Wild Smart, Alberta
• Ontario Bear Wise
• Living with Bears. A Practical Guide to Bear Country, by Linda Masterson
• Bear Attacks. Their Causes and Avoidance, by Stephen Herrero
• Return of the Wolf. Conflict & Coexistence and The Cougar. Beautiful, Wild and Dangerous, by Paula Wild

Show links:

• Host Maureen Armstrong on LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

In this podcast we explore a range of topics including:

• What does Human-Elephant Conflict mean and why is it a major concern?
• What are some of the different forms of Human-Elephant Conflict?
• What is the most common form of Human-Elephant Conflict? And why is this the case?
• What are the underlying drivers of Human-Elephant Conflict?
• What are some current Human-Elephant Conflict Prevention and Mitigation Strategies? 
• And more!

You can connect with us here:

Guest - Lynn Von Hagen:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lynn_vonhagen/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElesKenya/

Host - Blane Edwards from Earth Offline:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earth.offline/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EarthOffline/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxpRbiERzXEgEXSG8O86WEg/

Other Links:
Earth Watch: https://earthwatch.org/expeditions/elephants-and-sustainable-agriculture-in-kenya