Jumbo-sized attraction in Xishuangbanna Wild Elephant Valley, SW China

The bridge between human and Asian elephant

Hidden in a tropical rain forest of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China's Yunnan Province is an elephant paradise.

With the species under first-class state protection in China, wild Asian elephants mainly live in Xishuangbanna, as well as in Pu'er and Lincang, two cities also in Yunnan.

The Xishuangbanna Wild Elephant Valley is China's first national theme park for the animal and it claims to be the only place in the world that offers visitors the chance to safely observe wild Asian elephants at close quarters.

More than 300 such elephants are in the park, and visitors can also watch the elephants dance, walk on a single-plank bridge or play with balls using their trunks, besides intimate interactions with the giant animals.

A pedestrian lane runs more than 4,000 meters through the tropical forest, ensuring close contact with the nature.

An elephant museum there could help people who want to know more about the animal.

Meanwhile, the park received more than 100,000 visits during the recent Spring Festival holiday.

"elephant papas"

At the park, its employees in gray suits also attract attention as they feed and play with the elephants and offer guidance to visitors while keeping visitors from leaving the sight-seeing lanes to see the elephants.

Major holidays like Spring Festival mean more work park's employees. Most of them have spent more time with the elephants than with their own children. So, some refer to them as "elephant papas."

At the moment, around 10 elephants receive professional medical care and rehabilitation training at the park.

A three-year-old elephant, Yangniu is getting back on its feet at the rescue center. The cub which suffered an umbilical cord infection and arrhythmia was abandoned by its mother, but was rescued by the park's staff. Now, Yangniu is alive bursting with energy and is not timid in human presence.

Yangniu is just one of some elephants rescued out of a miserable life due to injuries and abandonment, among others.

All elephants are taken out everyday to adapt themselves to the wild, to develop their survival skills and maintain their wild nature.

Travel tips

Wild Elephant Valley is arranged in a circular shape. Visitors can enter the scenic area from either the south gate or the north gate. The whole valley is connected through sky plank trestle, pedestrian walkway and tropical rain forest sightseeing rope-way. Thus tourists can take a 3-hour loop in the valley, and no need of backtrack.

Wild Elephant Valley opens from 8:00 to 18:00, and the ticket price is 84 yuan (12.5 U.S. dollars).

There are couples of must-see events await. One of them is the Elephant School. Visitors will have the chance to see how elephants learn to survive in the wild, as well as elephants taking physical classes and music classes. The other one is the Rain forest Theater, where many traditional folk dances from Xishuangbanna are performed every day here.

Lizards Garden is not only the wildlife exhibition area which favorites by tourists but also the shelter for lots of injured wildlife. Most of the animals that live here are rescued from the wild, including national protected animals such as pythons, king cobras, lizards, wild boars, etc.

The best season for encountering a wild elephant is from November to next year's February. If you are lucky enough, you may even encounter the whole wild elephant's family by accident. But it's rarely seen.

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Jumbo-sized attraction in Xishuangbanna Wild Elephant Valley, SW China

The bridge between human and Asian elephant

Hidden in a tropical rain forest of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China's Yunnan Province is an elephant paradise.

With the species under first-class state protection in China, wild Asian elephants mainly live in Xishuangbanna, as well as in Pu'er and Lincang, two cities also in Yunnan.

The Xishuangbanna Wild Elephant Valley is China's first national theme park for the animal and it claims to be the only place in the world that offers visitors the chance to safely observe wild Asian elephants at close quarters.

More than 300 such elephants are in the park, and visitors can also watch the elephants dance, walk on a single-plank bridge or play with balls using their trunks, besides intimate interactions with the giant animals.

A pedestrian lane runs more than 4,000 meters through the tropical forest, ensuring close contact with the nature.

An elephant museum there could help people who want to know more about the animal.

Meanwhile, the park received more than 100,000 visits during the recent Spring Festival holiday.

"elephant papas"
At the park, its employees in gray suits also attract attention as they feed and play with the elephants and offer guidance to visitors while keeping visitors from leaving the sight-seeing lanes to see the elephants.

Major holidays like Spring Festival mean more work park's employees. Most of them have spent more time with the elephants than with their own children. So, some refer to them as "elephant papas."

At the moment, around 10 elephants receive professional medical care and rehabilitation training at the park.

A three-year-old elephant, Yangniu is getting back on its feet at the rescue center. The cub which suffered an umbilical cord infection and arrhythmia was abandoned by its mother, but was rescued by the park's staff. Now, Yangniu is alive bursting with energy and is not timid in human presence.

Yangniu is just one of some elephants rescued out of a miserable life due to injuries and abandonment, among others.

All elephants are taken out everyday to adapt themselves to the wild, to develop their survival skills and maintain their wild nature.

Travel tips

Wild Elephant Valley is arranged in a circular shape. Visitors can enter the scenic area from either the south gate or the north gate. The whole valley is connected through sky plank trestle, pedestrian walkway and tropical rain forest sightseeing rope-way. Thus tourists can take a 3-hour loop in the valley, and no need of backtrack.

Wild Elephant Valley opens from 8:00 to 18:00, and the ticket price is 84 yuan (12.5 U.S. dollars).

There are couples of must-see events await. One of them is the Elephant School. Visitors will have the chance to see how elephants learn to survive in the wild, as well as elephants taking physical classes and music classes. The other one is the Rain forest Theater, where many traditional folk dances from Xishuangbanna are performed every day here.

Lizards Garden is not only the wildlife exhibition area which favorites by tourists but also the shelter for lots of injured wildlife. Most of the animals that live here are rescued from the wild, including national protected animals such as pythons, king cobras, lizards, wild boars, etc.

The best season for encountering a wild elephant is from November to next year's February. If you are lucky enough, you may even encounter the whole wild elephant's family by accident. But it's rarely seen.

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https://news.cgtn.com/news/3d3d514e7a55544e33457a6333566d54/index.html

China plans to grow crops specifically for wild elephants to spare livelihood of farmers

China said it plans to grow crops specifically for wild elephants to graze on in an effort to spare the livelihoods of local farmers. The southwestern province of Yunnan will set up the special farm in a habitat protection area in Menghai county where 18 of the animals frequently raid the crops of farmers from villages in the area. The 51-hectare (126-acre) farm will grow corn, sugarcane, bamboo and bananas.

The official Xinhua News Agency quoted an unidentified official with the local forestry bureau as saying protecting local residents was key to Asian elephant conservation Wild Asian elephants are a protected species in China, and conservation efforts have allowed their numbers in the country to rise to about 300. As is the case with their African cousins, Asian elephants are critically endangered due to habitat destruction and poaching. An estimated 30,000 are left in the wild.

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Wild Asian elephants enjoy Spring Festival at Yunnan's Wild Elephant Valley

Wild Asian elephants are celebrating their own Spring Festival at the Wild Elephant Valley.

Spring Festival is not only the most significant holiday in China, it also is the peak time for wild elephants to converge on the valley from Pu'er City and Xishuangbanna in Yunnan Province.

"The wild elephants like to come to our valley every Spring Festival because the food is abundant and no one disturbs them. Therefore, the number of wild elephants during Spring Festival is higher than normal. We saw 44 elephants on Friday," said Yan Hanlu, head of the observation team of Asian elephants in the valley.

The wild elephants in the valley consist of five herds, all of which include elephant calves. The largest group consists of 17 elephants, and the smallest is a single male elephant.

These wild elephants hang around in the valley, bathing and playing with each other in the river.

"Unlike tigers, the wild elephant will not fight for territory. Once they've had enough to eat and drink, they'll split into groups and walk away. They like to switch places and have interactions with each other," said Yan.

Asian elephants are listed as endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and are under first-class state protection in China.

During the dry season from February to April, when there is less food and water in the mountains, wild elephants head to the valley for food. About 40 to 50 will show up in a day.

Local forestry and other departments have reminded the surrounding residents to help in the protection of wild elephants and to avoid human-elephant conflicts.

(Cover image shows two wild Asian elephants via VCG.)

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Villagers bothered by male Asian elephant's frequent visits in SW China

Villagers are being bothered by a male Asian elephant making frequent visits to their villages. Since wild Asian elephants were found again in Pu'er in 1999, more and more elephants are migrating here, from forests to villages, putting much pressure on locals. There are around 300 Asian elephants living this area. Despite measures like building elephant-proof trenches and grids, dispatching observers, setting up infrared cameras, and offering food to them, some of the elephants have learned to avoid the set-ups.

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"Canteens" ease tensions between elephants and humans

KUNMING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- Environmental workers in southwest China's Yunnan Province have opened a number of "canteens" for wild Asian elephants to reduce conflicts between villagers and the endangered animal.

This year, staff from Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve have created a total of around 100 hectares of the elephant's favorite food, such as bamboo and paper mulberry, in three different sites.

On July 5, a canteen has received its latest guests -- 20 Asian elephants. They enjoyed their meal, which lasted around two hours.

In Pu'er City, more than 253 hectares of sugarcane, bananas and maize have been planted for the elephants.

Authorities hope the open-air canteens can help draw elephants away from human settlements to prevent conflicts between the animal and villagers.

The wild Asian elephant is an endangered species. In China, the animals mainly live in Xishuangbanna, Pu'er and Lincang in Yunnan. The population of the species in China has grown from over 170 in the 1990s to around 300 today.

"The canteens provide a safe place for elephants to munch on food plants far away from villages where they might come into conflict with humans. Fewer elephants seek food in village crop fields now," said Wang Bin, a senior engineer from the nature reserve.


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'Naughty' elephant damages two vehicles in SW China

KUNMING - A wild Asian elephant turned a highway in Southwest China's Yunnan province into its playground, damaging a minibus and a sedan Saturday afternoon.

According to forest police in Menghai county, an adult elephant walked near a parked minibus at around 6 p.m. and began hitting the windshield with its head. It then scratched itself against the bus, lingering until 8:30 p.m.

There were no passengers in the vehicle, and the driver was not injured and was taken away after the elephant left.

A sedan drove by at about 6:20 p.m. Seeing the elephant and the minibus, the driver turned back immediately and fled for about one kilometer before pulling over and leaving on foot.

However, when the driver came back at 7 a.m. on Sunday, the parked sedan had already been thrown down a slope by the elephant.

Chang Zongbo, spokesman for the forest police, said more staff from the police station and local forestry bureau have been dispatched to the area for monitoring and early warning.

Wild Asian elephants are under Class A protection in China, with a population of about 300, mainly scattered in Yunnan. With strengthened protection efforts for the environment and wildlife, the number of wild Asian elephants has been growing in recent years.


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Wild elephant attacks villager in Yunnan

A villager was injured by a wild Asian elephant while picking mushrooms in southwest China's Yunnan Province, local authorities said Wednesday.

The 52-year-old victim, surnamed He, called police after the incident on Sunday afternoon in the mountains four kilometers from Nanmanhe Village, in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, according to the local forest police.

The adult elephant was about two meters tall, according to the bureau. Wild adult asian elephants weigh about 2,000 kg on average.

"I was heading home after collecting mushrooms in the mountains when I met the elephant," He said.

According to He, the elephant was also surprised to see him.

"It rushed towards me, knocked me down with its tusk, and walked over my body before disappearing into the forest," he said.

He was sent to hospital and doctors said he suffered several injuries to his knees, legs, and arms.

The local forestry bureau has strengthened monitoring of elephants in the vicinity.

In China, wild Asian elephants mainly live in three prefectures in Yunnan, with Xishuangbanna home to the biggest population.

The species is under Class A protection in China and is listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

Enhanced protection has seen the elephant's population rise in recent years, but cases of interactions with humans have also increased, according to the local government.

It is estimated that about 300 Asian elephants currently live in China, up from about 170 in the 1990s. In April, an wild elephant walked through the city of Pu'er for about six hours before heading back into the forest, while a man was trampled to death by another wild elephant in Xishuangbanna.

Since 2014, Yunnan has purchased commercial insurance for residents of the province. The government pays the premiums, and the insurance companies

compensate the residents if wild animals attack them.


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Wild elephant attacks villager in Yunnan

[InKunming--Yunnan] A villager was injured by a wild Asian elephant while picking mushrooms in southwest China's Yunnan Province, local authorities said Wednesday.

The 52-year-old victim, surnamed He, called police after the incident on Sunday afternoon in the mountains four kilometers from Nanmanhe Village, in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, according to the local forest police.

The adult elephant was about two meters tall, according to the bureau. Wild adult asian elephants weigh about 2,000 kg on average.

"I was heading home after collecting mushrooms in the mountains when I met the elephant," He said.

According to He, the elephant was also surprised to see him.

"It rushed towards me, knocked me down with its tusk, and walked over my body before disappearing into the forest," he said.

He was sent to hospital and doctors said he suffered several injuries to his knees, legs, and arms.

The local forestry bureau has strengthened monitoring of elephants in the vicinity.

In China, wild Asian elephants mainly live in three prefectures in Yunnan, with Xishuangbanna home to the biggest population.

The species is under Class A protection in China and is listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

Enhanced protection has seen the elephant's population rise in recent years, but cases of interactions with humans have also increased, according to the local government.

It is estimated that about 300 Asian elephants currently live in China, up from about 170 in the 1990s. In April, an wild elephant walked through the city of Pu'er for about six hours before heading back into the forest, while a man was trampled to death by another wild elephant in Xishuangbanna.

Since 2014, Yunnan has purchased commercial insurance for residents of the province. The government pays the premiums, and the insurance companies compensate the residents if wild animals attack them.


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Group of 30 wild Asian elephants spotted in SW China

A group of 30 wild Asian elephants have been spotted in a nature reserve in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Of the group, nine were calves, with three under one year old, according to a wild elephant observation and protection team based in the Wild Elephant Valley in Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve.

They were spotted Friday in the valley, which boasts sufficient water and plants and is a natural passage for a variety of animals.

This group of elephants is likely to have come to forage for minerals. A group of more than 50 were spotted in the same valley in early March. It is rare to see them in such large numbers in this season.

Wild Asian elephants, with a population of about 300 in China, are under Class A protection. In China, they are mainly scattered in southern Yunnan.

With stronger environmental and wildlife protection efforts, the number of wild Asian elephants in China has grown in recent years.




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Wild Asian elephant strolls in downtown Pu'er

On the night of April 7, a wild Asian elephant broke into Simao District, Pu'er.

The municipal government and the district government started the emergency response mechanism at the earliest possible time, conducting full-process monitoring of the elephant, issuing a real-time warning, directing traffic and evacuating people to avoid casualties.



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A wild Asian elephant intruded in Puer City, Yunnan, did not cause casualties

China News Agency, Kunming, April, 8, Xinhua, 8, from the Propaganda Department of Puer municipal Party committee of Yunnan, 8, a wild Asian elephant broke into the downtown area on the evening of 7. Under the guidance of field staff and the escort of UAV, the wild elephant returned to the forest at 4 oclock in the morning on the morning of 8. It is understood that the wild Asian elephants in 7, 21, in Simao District Manliancun Jue dam base city group; on the same day at 22:30, the wild elephants from Nanping Town Community Manchester United into the city, along the way through the 6 areas. After the incident, Simao Puer City, two levels of government in the first time to start the emergency response mechanism, process monitoring, early warning, real-time traffic to the elephant, evacuation of personnel, ensure that the wild Asian elephants into the city incident caused no casualties. The elephant will arrive at the city outskirts, multi department of forestry, Puer City forest police, traffic police and other rapid action of the Asian elephant walking route anticipation, using UAV tracking and monitoring, and according to the early warning and monitoring the situation, the police stationed in key locations along the line to keep the points, passing vehicles and population monitoring, counseling and warning, timely guide the surrounding residents avoid, in order to avoid human elephant conflicts. At 4 a.m. on the 8 day, the wild Asian elephant returned to the forest from the outskirts of the city near the outskirts of the city under the guidance of the on-site staff and the escort of the UAVs. Puer City Simao district forestry departments responsible person, the city is a head into the tea act alone, the Asian elephant, the monitor has been observed for many years it. At present, there are a total of 96 wild Asian elephants in the Simao region. Previously, they were all located in towns far away from the urban area, but recently, a group of 14 wild Asian elephants began to move in the area only ten kilometers away from the urban area. Local forest public security reminds us that the wild Asian elephant belongs to the national first class protected animal, but has very high aggression and danger. In the process of traveling and feeding, do not stand around and keep safe distance from wild elephants. Do not frighten or drive away wild elephants by means of firecrackers or digging holes, so as to avoid human conflicts. Report to the local forestry department and public security organs in case of an elephant injury or an artificial injury to the wild elephant.

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Wild elephant controlled after entering SW China city

KUNMING, April 9 (Xinhua) -- A wild Asian elephant was transported to a breeding and rescue center in southwest China's Yunnan Province Monday after being anaesthetized near a city park.

This was the first anaesthetization of a healthy adult Asian elephant in China.

The elephant entered Simao district of Pu'er City Saturday night, strolling on the city streets, and did some damage before leaving on Sunday morning. It entered the district again later, wandering in a suburban park and even attempting to enter nearby houses.

Forestry workers blocked roads and evacuated people before anaesthetizing the elephant and taking it to the China Asian Elephant Breeding and Rescue Center in Xishuangbanna.

Bao Mingwei, a vet with the center, said the elephant had a medical checkup upon arriving Monday morning and was in good health.

At 2.2 meters high, the elephant weighs more than 2 tonnes and is between 12 to 15 years old, Bao said.

The center will check its health and temperament before releasing it back to the forest, he said.

Chen Mingyong, head of the Asian elephant research center at Yunnan University, said the intrusion had little to do with food and was more like aimless wandering.

Forest police warned the public to keep a safe distance from the wild elephants as they can cause a lot of damage if they get riled.

Asian elephants are under first-class national protection. China has about 300 of them, mostly in Yunnan, a significant increase from around 170 in the 1990s.

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One dead, one injured in wild elephant attack

KUNMING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- A villager died and another injured after being attacked by a wild elephant in southwest China's Yunnan Province, local authorities said Saturday.

The tragedy occurred on Friday morning in Mengla County, Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna, when a woman was working at her vegetable plot, according to the statement released by the county's publicity department.

She died at the site after she was attacked by an elephant that intruded into the village. The elephant injured another villager and damaged several houses as it fled.

In recent years, there have been frequent reports of attacks by wild elephants causing casualties and property losses in Yunnan.

Yunnan has purchased commercial insurance for people in some regions. The government pays the premiums, and the insurers compensate people when animals cause trouble.

Wild Asian elephants are placed under top state protection in China, with a population of about 300, mainly scattered in Xishuangbanna, Pu'er and Lincang in Yunnan

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"Naughty" elephant damages two vehicles in SW China

KUNMING, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- A wild Asian elephant turned a highway in southwest China's

Yunnan province into its playground, damaging a minibus and a sedan Saturday afternoon.

According to forest police in Menghai County, an adult elephant walked near a parked minibus at around 6 p.m. and began hitting the windshield with its head. It then scratched itself against the bus, lingering until 8:30 p.m.

There were no passengers in the vehicle, and the driver was not injured and was taken away after the elephant left.

A sedan drove by at about 6:20 p.m. Seeing the elephant and the minibus, the driver turned back immediately and fled for about one kilometer before pulling over and leaving on foot.

However, when the driver came back at 7 a.m. on Sunday, the parked sedan had already been thrown down a slope by the elephant.

Chang Zongbo, spokesman for the forest police, said more staff from the police station and local forestry bureau have been dispatched to the area for monitoring and early warning.

Wild Asian elephants are under Class A protection in China, with a population of about 300, mainly scattered in Yunnan. With strengthened protection efforts for the environment and wildlife, the number of wild Asian elephants has been growing in recent years

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