39 wild Asian elephants "dine together" in China's Yunnan

KUNMING, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- A total of 39 wild Asian elephants inhabiting different areas gathered together recently to dine in Jiangcheng Hani and Yi Autonomous County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, according to local authorities on Monday.

Due to the shortage of food sources in the forest during winter, when the corn planted in the villages is gradually harvested, herds of elephants, along with their cubs, have come here for food, said Diao Faxing, an Asian elephant observer.

"They do nothing but eat every day," said Diao.

According to Yang Song, head of the county's wildlife protection station, the 39 elephants belong to two populations. They gathered in batches near Kangping Township and Zhengdong Township, and mainly forage on the farmland during the day, which has caused damage to villagers' agricultural facilities and crops.

"We are trying to lead these mammals back to the mountains by providing them with food," Yang said.

Local authorities have taken measures such as strengthening monitoring and early warning, traffic control and setting up roadblocks to ensure the safety of people and elephants.

Wild Asian elephants, a flagship species in the rainforest, are under A-level state protection in China. Thanks to stronger environmental and wildlife protection efforts, the population in the country has grown to about 300, mostly scattered around Yunnan.