HISTORY AND PRESENT STATUS OF THE HUMAN ELEPHANT CONFLICT IN THE WAZA-LOGONE REGION, CAMEROON, WEST-AFRICA

Increasing elephant population coupled with the rapid human population growth and the expansion of agricultural land has escalated human/ele phant conflict in the Waza-Logone Region. This paper analyses the magn itude of the conflict and examines its development in time. Elephant d amage to crops has doubled between 1992 and 1993 in the Kaele and Mind if areas and caused increasing loss of human life. The present situati on is likely to worsen unless the control of 'problem animals' and the management of Waza National Park are improved, a conservation educati on programme is developed and an adequate compensation scheme designed . It is also essential to determine elephant movements and home-ranges and to identify causes of their migrations.