How To Protect Elephants? A Coloradan’s Tools Include Beehives

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<p>Courtesy: Wayne Lewis</p>
<p>Colorado zookeeper and conservationist Dave Johnson on the back of an elephant that was getting a bath in the Rapti River in Nepal&#039;s Chitwan National Park during filming of a documentary about rhinos titled “The Price.”</p>

Colorado zookeeper Dave Johnson helps Nepalis use beehives to keep marauding elephants from decimating rice paddies. It's one way he's working to protect elephants, rhinos and other endangered species around the world and it's critical because the numbers of these animals are dropping fast. In Africa, for instance, some 30,000 elephants are killed by poachers every year. A subspecies of African rhinos is down to just three individuals in captivity, guarded by armed men.

Johnson wants to create a "fusion of cultures in the name of conservation", so he formed the Katie Adamson Conservation Fund. He also takes Coloradans to Nepal, Africa and elsewhere and gets Nepali and African children involved in conservation projects.

Colorado Matters host Andrea Dukakis spoke with Dave Johnson.

Photo: Map of Chitwan in Nepal
Map showing location of Chitwan National Park in Nepal.

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