China's wandering elephants may finally be heading home
By: The Associated Press Staff
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China's wandering elephants may finally be heading home
In this photo released by the Yunnan Provincial Command Center for the Safety and Monitoring of North Migrating Asian Elephants, a herd of wandering elephants cross a river using a highway near Yuxi city, Yuanjiang county in southwestern China's Yunnan Province Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021. (Yunnan Provincial Command Center for the Safety and Monitoring of North Migrating Asian Elephants via AP)
BEIJING -- An elephant herd that fascinated locals and people around the world by making a yearlong journey into urbanized southwest China, raiding farms and even a retirement home for food, appears finally to be headed home.
Local authorities have deployed trucks, workers and drones to monitor the elephants, evacuated roads for them to pass safely and used food to steer them away from populated areas. Despite their entrance into villages and a close approach to the Yunnan provincial capital of Kunming, no animals or humans have been injured.
The 14 Asian elephants of various sizes and ages were guided across the Yuanjiang river in Yunnan on Sunday night and a path is being opened for them to return to the nature reserve where they lived in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture.
The elephants left the reserve more than a year ago for unknown reasons and roamed more than 500 kilometres north. After reaching the outskirts of Kunming, a centre for business and tourism, they turned south again, but still are far from the reserve.
One male that separated from the herd was subsequently tranquilized and returned to the reserve.
Asian elephants are among the most highly protected animals in China and their population has grown to around 300, even while their habitat has shrunk because of expanded farming and urban growth.
As of Sunday night, the herd was still in Yuanjiang County, approximately 200 kilometres from the reserve.
However, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration said the animals were in a "suitable habitat" after crossing the river.
A notice issued by provincial government said the herd's progress was significant and it would continue to work on getting the elephants back in their natural habitat soon.
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This has been a fascinating distraction not only for the Chinese people, but for people around the world.
Evening Buzz..yes read that great news over here too... wonderful to see and hear...So good people and the authorities are watching over them and helping...Go Jumbo's..
LOL. I expected that you would reply to that cause you've been following them and concerned about them.
What a wonderful journey the words ''Born Free'' come to mind.
''Go Jumbo's''
They certainly were given a lot of freedom. I watched videos of them walking through villages.
Good for China for protecting and helping the elephants
I guess the fact that my sleep/awake time is so different than the vast majority of NT members, the opportunity I have to post an article/seed that is available for anyone to see is limited to the very short times that I have to post before it is swept off the Home (Front) Page by political articles.
Morning Buzz... give me the Jumbo's any day over pig trough pollies... Nice to see some good news stories for a change....
I don't watch the first 15 minutes of the news..virus, politicians chucking wobblies, doom and gloom and we are all going to die..
Would rather brush the cat...but might have stop that it is starting to go bald..
I love that ! Had to look it up, there certainly is a lot of that happening, lol.
There are too many reasons these days to brush the cat instead of anything else. I suggest you get another cat to share the brushing.
Think I will have to pass on that one...Would be an all in brawl and vet bills...