China on the way to revive majesty of Asian elephants

KUNMING -- A dozen of wild Asian elephants went on a parade and enjoyed a special fruit feast at the Asian Elephant Breeding and Rescue Center in southwest China's Yunnan Province on Sunday, the World Elephant Day.

Established in 2008 in Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, a 241,000-hectare rainforest, the center has rescued 13 wild Asian elephants, ten of which are still receiving medical care and rehabilitation training at the sanctuary. So far, five elephants have been successfully born.

The animals are under Class-A protection in China and are included on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species as "Endangered."

"Enhanced protection has led to a rise in the number of the mammals in recent years," said Bao Mingwei, an elephant doctor. "In the 1990s, only about 180 wild Asian elephants were living in China, but now the population is estimated to exceed 300."

ELEPHANT-HUMAN CONFLICTS

In China, wild Asian elephants are scattered in a few regions, with Xishuangbanna one of their primary habitats. However, according to the provincial forestry bureau, wild elephants caused 32 deaths and 159 injuries from 2011 to 2017.