The Design of Crop-Raiding Studies

First, general principles must be clarifi ed. A risk factor is a variable that increases the probability that a farm will be raided by elephants. Some variables always increase the risk that farms will be damaged, whatever vegetation zone you are working in. These are universal risk factors. For example, maize and the number of crops grown on a farm attract elephants in both savannah and forest in West Africa (Barnes et al. 2005; Danquah et al. 2006, Drabo Adama, pers. comm.).