China: Police and emergency workers protecting heard of elephants on mysterious 500km trek
Christian Fernsby ▼ | June 3, 2021
A herd of elephants left for a 500km trek and it has arrived at Kunming in China where millions of people live.Article continues below
Topics: CHINA
The 15 elephants have been hoovering up crops and poking their noses through doors on the march from the south of Yunnan province to its capital Kunming.
A big effort is under way to try and keep them safe, BBC reported.
It is unclear why they left their habitat to embark on the journey, which has captivated residents and experts.
Some have suggested an inexperienced leader may have led the herd astray, while other believe the elephants could be searching for a new habitat.
The Asian elephant is an endangered species. China has only about 300 wild elephants, mainly in the south of Yunnan province.
Scientists say this is the furthest any of the wild elephants there have travelled from the habitat.
The Kunming Daily says the cities of Kunming and Yuxi deployed almost 700 police and emergency workers armed with 10 tonnes of corn, pineapples and other food. They were backed up by trucks and drones to try to divert the animals on to a safe path.
Don't gawk or leave corn or salt out; keep your distance and don't disturb them with firecrackers, residents have been told.
It's not exactly clear when the herd left home, which was probably the Mengyangzi Nature Reserve in Xishuangbanna, in south-west Yunnan.
Officials appear to have been first alerted to their movements when locals spotted the herd about 100km north of Xishuangbanna in April.
There were thought to be 17 elephants initially, but two appeared to turn back when reaching Mojiang county. Other reports say it was 16 originally but a newborn calf helped the number back to 15 once the two abandoned the trek.
As for the journey, it has comprised a mixture of farms, tracks and asphalt and has continued night and day.
And more than $1m (£710,000) worth of crops has been pilfered along the way. Fortunately, no one has been injured. ■ What to read next
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