[ad_1]
In this photo released by the Yunnan forest fire brigade, a herd of migrating elephants graze near Shuangyi Town, Jining District of Kunming City in southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on June 4.
toggle AP . Caption
In this photo released by the Yunnan Forest Fire Squad, a migratory herd of elephants grazes near Shuangyi Town, Jining District of Kunming City in southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on June 4.
AP
BEIJING (Associated Press) – China’s famous roaming elephants are once again on the move, heading southwest while a male who was separated from the herd is still moving away from the herd.
The group left a wildlife sanctuary in southwestern Yunnan province more than a year ago and traveled 500 kilometers (300 mi) north to the outskirts of the provincial capital, Kunming.
As of Saturday, they had been spotted in Shiji Township in Yuxi City, more than 8 kilometers (5 miles) southwest of the suburb of Kunming they reached last week, according to state media reports. The lone man was 16 kilometers (10 miles) away, still on the outskirts of Kunming.
The direction of their travel may be a good sign, as authorities hope to return them to their hometown of Xishuangbana Dai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest of Kunming.
The authorities try to keep their distance from the locals, while blocking the roads to the villages and trying to lure them away with food droplets. Despite this, the herd of 15 people raided farms, wandered the streets of cities in search of snacks in villages and even on homes for the elderly.
In this aerial photo taken on June 7 and released by the Yunnan Forest Fire Brigade, a migratory herd of elephants settles near the town of Shenyang. AP Hide Caption
toggle AP . Caption
In this aerial photo taken on June 7 and released by the Yunnan Forest Fire Brigade, a migratory herd of elephants settles near the town of Shenyang.
AP
All animals were reported to be healthy and no one was injured in encounters with them. Officials issued strict orders not to stare at them or seek to drive them away using firecrackers or other means. Nearly 300 wild elephants in China have enjoyed the highest level of protection, on par with the country’s unofficial mascot, the panda.
Officials are taking extra steps to protect elephants — and local people
However, extra precautions are being taken amid the continuing rain in the area and the crowds of spectators expected around the Dragon Boat Festival on Monday. Reports said additional emergency workers, vehicles and drones have been deployed to monitor the elephants’ movements and protect the local population. 2.5 tons of food was distributed to the animals on Friday.
It remains unclear why the elephants began their journey, although Evan Sun, director of the Wildlife Campaign at World Animal Protection, said potential causes could include a lack of food supplies, an increase in elephant numbers and, most importantly, habitat loss.
“The increase in conflicts between humans and elephants reflects the urgent need for a more strategic policy and plan to protect these endangered wild animals and their natural habitats,” Sun wrote in an email.
“This is also a great opportunity to educate the public about the challenges facing wild animals to survive and the need for better protection at the level of government, industry and society,” Sun wrote. “These animals belong in the wild. We need to keep a safe distance from them, which is good for us and the wild animals.”
[ad_2]
Picture Credit!