A simple fence made from wood, wire and beehives can deter elephants from raiding farmers' crops.

A pilot study in Kenya has shown that such fences reduce the number of raids by elephants by almost half.

In Kenya, elephants are not confined to national parks or reserves. As they roam, they often come across increasing numbers of farms created by pastoralists who are being encouraged to settle down and grow crops.

The elephants break into the farms and raid them for food such as ripe tomatoes, potatoes and maize.

That causes significant economic damage and conflict with farmers who occasionally resort to shooting, spearing or poisoning elephants to protect their livelihoods and families.

So researchers from a British university worked with the charity Save the Elephants to conduct a pilot study of a novel "beehive fence".