Chilli?Capsicum?oleoresin?guns have been utilised by local hunters in Luangwa Valley, Zambia in the recent years as Community Based Conflict Mitigation (CBCM) for human-elephant conflict (HEC) situations. Through use of?C. oleoresin?guns, transformation of local hunters from elephant poachers to sustainable agriculturalists has been a milestone for conservation efforts. In this study, authors systematically evaluated efficacy of?C.?oleoresin?guns usage by the local hunters as African elephant repellent from crop raiding in the Luangwa, Zambia using statistical multivariate regression modelling approaches. Out of nine potential factors influencing effectiveness of?C. oleoresin?guns, two factors were significantly associated with impacts of?C.?oleoresin?aerosols: rain conditions and elephant head size. These factors were, in addition to wind direction, determinants of effectiveness of?C.?oleoresinaerosols on target elephants. CBCM innovations are encouraged and we suggest building capacity in training, access to materials and implementation monitoring by local hunters and wildlife managers to enhance local participation in non-lethal preventive and mitigation interventions, especially those which are robust to elephant habituation.
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