University of Helsinki
My name is Mihika and I’m one of the 2023 HiLIFE trainees! Much of my previous research has revolved around studying human-wildlife interactions, with a special focus on elephants 🐘🐘
Laikipia county in Kenya is a region with intense conflict between local communities and elephants, particularly in the form of crop raiding by elephants in small-scale farms. And electric fences are the main conflict management tool used there. So for my HiLIFE project, I am investigating the social perceptions of local communities towards the effectiveness of electric fences in preventing crop raiding by elephants. I am also working on identifying conflict hotspots in the landscape for future conservation efforts to be focused on.
Visiting Kenya for my field work was a dream come true, and I can’t wait to share more about my research journey as it unfolds! 🇰🇪
Here are some of Mihika’s Instagram posts to check out:
- At 32nd LUOVA spring symposium (https://www.instagram.com/p/CrkwbjSshge/). Posted April 28, 2023.
- Self-introduction (https://www.instagram.com/p/Co7eUZ2KJ0f/). Posted February 21, 2023.