It’s used to give a sweet kick to drinks and to calm a stomach ache. But Nepali villagers have found that camomile is also useful to scare off rhinos.
The Tharu people who live under the southern foothills of the Himilayas have been harassed for generations by one-horned rhinoceros.
The unruly animals often trespass in their land, trampling crops and sometimes injuring villagers.
But the peaceful villagers, who dislike using violent means to keep the endangered species away, have discovered that planting camomile on the edge of the forest is enough because the rhinos hate the smell.
“It works as a barrier, not only for rhinos but also other herbivores,’ said Suman Bhattarai, of the Partnership for Rhino Conservation, which helps Nepalis live side-by-side with the rhino.
