SPECIAL REPORT: How conflict with humans endangers Nigeria’s wild elephants

In mid-January, James Achu, a 62-year-old farmer from Cross River State, South-South Nigeria, was upbeat about the upcoming banana and plantain harvest season. He looked forward to benefitting from the high prices of food crops in the country. But his dream turned into a nightmare after forest elephants from the neighbouring Cross River National Park (CRNP) invaded his farm and left a trail of destruction in their wake.

Mr Achu’s farm is located in Bamba, one of the Mbe Mountain communities in Boki, Cross River State. In recent years, elephants have eaten crops and destroyed many farms in the communities that house one of Nigeria’s protected conservation areas.

After hours of navigating the narrow, bushy pathways to the invaded plots, the farmer and this reporter arrived at the sections of the 11-hectare farmland that the elephants have turned into their playground…