Yahoo TV

China’s nomadic elephants are finally heading home

after an 807-mile trek that has amazed the public

In March 2020, 16 wild elephants left their home in Xishuangbanna

near China’s southern border with Myanmar and Laos

Led by adult females, they headed north

and meandered through the cities of Honghe and Yuxi

before reaching the outskirts of Kunming in June 2021

Police used drones to monitor their journey and protect the public

but the herd repeatedly defied attempts to redirect them

State broadcaster CCTV even carried a 24-hour live feed of the spectacle

The herd is now heading back south again

having safely crossed a bridge over the Yuan River

No one knows exactly why the elephants left home

Local news reports suggest a decline in edible plants in forest habitats

put pressure on the animals to leave