A herd of elephants has made their way through China, continuing their 12-month journey from their home to a wildlife sanctuary in Yunnan province. The 15-member band has been caught on camera prancing ᴅᴏᴡɴ urban streets at night and even visiting a nursing home. No one knows for sure what prompted the act. 300 miles program. Incredible!
The 15-member elephant herd was caught on camera running through urban streets at night, by more than a dozen drones and people trying to help them reach their destination safely. The group originally had 16 members, but two returned home and a baby was born along the way. There are six females and three males, three young and three calves.
In search of food, they infiltrate farms, visit a car dealership, and live at a retirement home. They broke into several rooms there, causing an elderly man to panic under his bed. Their journey has caused damage estimated at more than 1 million dollars.
In China, elephants are protected to the fullest extent, and even if their natural status remains, their numbers are steadily increasing. The ɢᴏᴠᴇʀɴᴍᴇɴᴛ has asked people to stay indoors and not stare at them or try to drive them away. These elephants need more stringent protection.
So what motivated them to make the 300-mile journey? Maybe it’s because they’re looking for food, Maybe it’s because they’ve lost their way. And maybe they’re headed for a better land for them.
According to Nilanga Jayasinghe, Asian species conservation ᴅɪʀᴇᴄᴛᴏʀ at the World Wildlife Fund, Asian elephants are loyal to their home region unless resources or development are elsewhere, in which case they may decide to move out.
The Asian elephant, the continent’s largest land animal, is in decline overall, to just under 50,000 in the wild. Habitat loss and resulting human-wildlife conflict are their biggest ᴛʜʀᴇᴀᴛs, along with ᴘᴏᴀᴄʜɪɴɢ and population ɪsᴏʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴ.
And whatever the purpose, we always hope this elephant will be protected by animal and human conservation ᴏʀɢᴀɴizations. Because they really are friends of man!
