The production of essential oils on the border of the Bardia National Park to alleviate conflict between man and animals

The Bardia National Park is one of the least visited parks in Nepal, even though this exceptional place is home to over 400 species of birds and 53 species of mammals. Among these are many endangered species, such as the Asian elephant, one-horned rhinoceros, tigers, leopards, marsh deer, sarus crane and the very rare Bengal florican.

The heavy concentration of humans in this area has meant that the natural spaces along the periphery of the National Park have been transformed little by little into farmland. The protected zones themselves are under immense pressure from wood collection and fishing.

This close proximity to natural spaces generally increases the tension between man and the wild animals. Elephants destroy crops, rhinoceros attack people, and leopards and tigers turn to cattle as their new favourite prey. The population that lives on the direct periphery of the Park is principally made up of marginalised farmers. As they cultivate land that is less than 500 meters away from the forest border, they are often the first victims of the animals’ damage.

Relieving the pressure put on the human populations and also that of the animals is possible. Already, the religious customs of the local populations lead them to protect all animals, which is a very helpful first step. The second is the existence of a state institution – the National Trust for Nature Conservation – that undertakes the management of the park and the surrounding areas, the teams from which work with incredible devotion despite their lack of resources.

It is clear that the key to improving this situation lies in developing sources of agricultural revenue that are compatible with the population’s close proximity to the wild animals. The production of essential oils from alternative crops that are repellent to most of the local animals already exists in this area. This approach requires, however, support from the local populations. It will not only allow them to generate additional revenue for their communities but also to potentially reduce conflict with the animals.

Olivier Behra first came to the site in 2012, accompanied by Saroy RASOLOSON, head of the Madagascan office of studies and research Label CBD Consulting, and by Karina LESKO, a volunteer from the Man & Nature program, based between New York and Costa Rica. The Man & Nature Association had decided to commit to supporting the production of mint and chamomile essential oils in the area. With the help of his friend Stéphane PIQUART, from the company Behave, Olivier Behra was later able to promote the Bardia Mint Essential Oil that is now used in Givenchy’s Gentleman Only perfumes.

As a direct result of these initial actions, 20.000 tree seeds had been put in nurseries for firewood production and 8.300 trees had been planted on the land by the end of 2015. 900 kg of mint seedlings and 8.000 kg of curcuma seeds had been distributed to 182 farmers. An alembic was provided to the local communities in 2014 and allowed for the production of 600 kg of arvensis mint, the variety that was used in the Givenchy perfume Gentlemen Only Parisian Break. There is still a lot to be done. The future is also in preparation thanks to environmental education. More than 1.600 people came to theatrical performances organised by the association that spoke of the issues surrounding conflict between man and animals.

Let us help these communities to better cohabitate with elephants and other mammals by supporting the commercialization of their essential oils at a fair price.