Getting a buzz from analysis
What's the connection between a Hemel Hempstead business and African elephants? Much like a difficult riddle the first answer that springs to mind is absolutely nothing.
But a data analysis software firm based in Waterhouse Street is helping these magnificent animals to live in harmony with villagers.
It's a myth that elephants are afraid of mice but new research using GenStat - a tool developed by VSN International - shows that they're
not too keen on bees.
Now beehives linked to wire fencing are being trialed in a bid to keep elephants away from precious farm crops in Kenya.
The charity Save the Elephants first suspected the link between elephants and bees when they noticed the animals were less likely to
damage acacia trees that contained hives.
Oxford graduate Lucy King then confirmed the theory using camouflaged speakers to play recordings of angry buzzing bees to elephants.
The noise caused immediate alarm and the elephants started to move away.
VSNi boss Stewart Andrews, 48, said: "We provide a data analysis tool that enables people like Lucy to run a small scale experiment and find out how it would work on a large scale.
"The use of GenStat gave her the confidence that what she was doing was right."
As well as bee data, information was collected from observations into factors such as temperature, wind direction and time of day and GenStat was used to establish if the elephant behaviours observed were due to these factors or the presence of bees.
The new discovery was shown as part of a recent three part documentary on BBC One called the Secret Life of Elephants.
As an added bonus, farmers who are using the beehives, which when knocked by elephants disturb the bees inside, can also sell on the honey produced.
The analysis equipment was provided free of charge by VSNi and the firm has recently announced that it will give GenStat software free to teaching institutions worldwide.
Mr Andrews said: "We believe that we have a social and moral responsibility to assist where we can.
"It's vital that educators and students have free access to the best tools for the job."
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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