Story at a glance
- A herd of elephants has wreaked havoc over a 500-kilometer stretch since escaping from a nature reserve in the Yunnan province in April.
- The protected species has reportedly left a path of destruction, tearing up cornfields, crushing barns and recently emptying a water tank vital for villagers’ crops.
- Locals have attempted to entice the animals with food and direct their paths by blocking roads.
A herd of elephants have created chaos and more than $1 million in damages since escaping from a nature reserve in the Yunnan province in China in April.
The protected species, so far, has reportedly left a 300-mile trail of mayhem, tearing up cornfields, crushing barns and recently emptying a water tank vital for villagers’ crops, The Guardian reported.
Hundreds of people have been dispatched to observe the situation and ensure public welfare. Locals have attempted to entice the animals with food and direct their paths by blocking roads. Yet authorities are not sure why the elephants left the Xishuangbanna reserve.
Measures taken to keep migrating #elephants away from residential zones in #Yunnan.
#云南 #野象“旅行团”近日一路北迁，有关部门采取措施全力防范象群迁徙带来的公共安全隐患，确保人象安全。
by 吴歌 via CGTN pic.twitter.com/DDfH26nY2b— CCTV Asia Pacific (@CCTVAsiaPacific) June 1, 2021
Since leaving the reserve in April, the 15 elephants have destroyed several fields crops and created more than $1 million in losses, according to state broadcaster CCTV. No casualties have been reported to date.
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Authorities said Tuesday that the herd is approaching Yunnan’s capital, which is home to millions of people.
The Chinese outlet Xinhua reported that Yunnan’s wild elephant population has increased over the past few decades, rising from 170 in the 1980s to approximately 300 today.
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