Herd of Wild Elephants Rest During Migration Across China's Yunnan Province

Storyful
3 年前

A herd of wild elephants rested in Xiyang Township on June 7 after wandering through China’s Yunnan province for weeks, including populated areas such as the city of Kunming.

Authorities restricted traffic as the elephants crossed through urban areas while Yunnan officials ordered the herd to be constantly monitored to ensure a successful migration.

The Asian elephants, originally from a nature reserve in the Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture, are part of a population of 300 found in the country, according to local news reports.

According to Chen Mingyong, an Asian elephant expert at Yunnan University, it is the first time that China is recording a long-distance northward migration of wild elephants, Xinhua news agency reported.

The herd has damaged 56 hectares of farmland in the counties of Yuanjiang and Shiping, totaling a loss of 6.8 million yuan (1.1 million US dollars), according to Xinhua. Credit: Yunnan Forest Fire Brigade via Storyful