Chinese netizens follow a herd of elephants

The journey of 500 km of elephants in Yunnan province, China is attracting the attention of the whole country. It is not clear why the herd of elephants moved so far from their original range.
After gaining popularity in the country, the herd of wandering elephants in China is now becoming a star on a global scale.

The world’s major media outlets are simultaneously reporting on the elephants’ more than 500km journey from their habitat in the southwestern mountains of Yunnan to the outskirts of Kunming city. The elephants were filmed on the outskirts of Kunming city. Photo: AP. Rising star Over the past few days, elephants have become famous on China’s Weibo social network. Pictures of sleeping elephants attracted 25,000 posts and 200 million views on the evening of June 7. On Twitter and YouTube, users share cute videos of the elephants, especially the image of two young in the herd slipping into an irrigation ditch and needing the help of two adult elephants. AP . “We should be like these elephants, more family-oriented, take families on vacation, help, care for and protect each other,” said a YouTube comment by the account MrDeterministicchaos. The elephants were monitored via street security cameras as well as dozens of aerial recording drones. The elephants’ journey went unnoticed until May 24, when they entered Ngashan County, Yunnan Province, and caused a stir in the densely populated district. Elephants enter people’s houses, eat corn and other crops. One baby elephant even got drunk after entering the winery. The elephants have scoured some houses and fields. Photo: AP. Herds of elephants scour many farms for food and water. The elephants also went into a car dealership, even “visiting” a nursing home. They poked their trunks in through the window, causing a man to hide under the bed to avoid scaring the elephants. To date, the elephant herd has not caused any damage to people or livestock. However, crop damage is said to be more than $1 million. When they left their home in the mountains of southwestern Yunnan province, the herd numbered 16. However, authorities said the two children had returned. During the migration, a mother elephant gave birth to a young. The elephant herd now consists of 6 males and 3 adult females, 3 young individuals and 3 newborns. It is not clear why the elephants roam The reason the elephants travel such long distances is still a mystery. However, the elephants seem to be particularly attracted to maize, fruit and tropical crops. Some say that the herd of elephants is lost from the leader of the herd. According to Nilanga Jayasinghe, director of the Asian animal conservation program at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Asian elephants are attached to their habitat. Elephants only leave when there are major disturbances, loss of resources, or a sharp increase in the number of individuals. “In this case, we really don’t know why they left their range. But we do know their habitat has been severely damaged by agriculture, which converts forests into arable land. in that area for the past few decades,” Ms. Jayasinghe said. The WWF expert said that it is likely that the elephants are looking for a new habitat, now they are lost and just keep moving. The reason why the elephants moved away from their original range is still a mystery. Photo: AP. Chinese authorities have actively taken action to avoid negative interactions, but they must soon determine “what to do next, as well as avoid creating conflicts between elephants and people”, Ms. Jayasinghe said. Elephants are one of the most heavily protected species in China, which has helped the country’s elephant population continue to grow steadily despite the continuous shrinking of its natural habitat. Chinese authorities ask people to exercise maximum restraint when encountering elephants. At the place where the elephants pass, people are asked to stay indoors, not to stare at the elephant, not to use fire or any other measures to scare the elephant away. To date, authorities have adopted a variety of passive measures to keep the elephants away from urban areas, such as parking trucks and construction equipment in roadblocks, as well as using food to lure the elephants. By June 8, the elephants were on the outskirts of Kunming city. One of the adult males is separating himself from the herd, which creates both excitement and concern for those who want to continue monitoring the herd. In a statement on June 7, the command center monitoring the elephants said the elephants appeared to be resting. Chinese authorities have mobilized 410 rapid response personnel, police, many motor vehicles, and 14 drones to monitor the elephant herd. People living in the area near where the elephants passed have been evacuated. Temporary traffic control measures have been implemented. Authorities also prepared 2 tons of food for the elephants. One of the goals now is “to keep quiet to create conditions to lead the elephants to migrate west and south,” the command center said. The Asian elephant is the largest land animal in Eurasia. The number of Asian elephant species living in the wild is generally declining, currently only about 50,000 individuals. Habitat destruction, illegal hunting, and anthropogenic impact are the biggest threats to elephant survival. Herd of elephants ‘march’ in the city in China A herd of elephants travels from a tropical forest in Yunnan province (China) into downtown Kunming. They went into a car store and broke into people’s houses to eat 200 kg of corn.