Wandering Elephants Finally Seem Headed Back Home

Herd fascinated the world with 300-mile trek north
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Aug 10, 2021 4:35 PM CDT
Wandering Elephants Finally Seem Headed Back Home
The 14 elephants of various sizes and ages were guided across the Yuanjiang river in Yunnan province on Sunday night and a path is being opened for them to return to the nature reserve in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture.   (Yunnan Provincial Command Center for the Safety and Monitoring of North Migrating Asian Elephants via AP)

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 to be finally 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, reports the AP. 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 300 miles north. After reaching the outskirts of Kunming, a center for business and tourism, they turned south. One male that separated from the herd was subsequently tranquilized and returned to the reserve. As of Sunday night, the herd was in Yuanjiang County, approximately 125 miles from the reserve. However, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration said the animals were in a "suitable habitat" after crossing the river. 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.

(More elephant stories.)

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