A herd of 15 Asian elephants has reached the outskirts of the capital of China's southwestern Yunnan province, prompting authorities to close off roads and residential areas, China’s Xinhua News Agency reported this morning.
The herd, which includes three calves, started their journey in March 2020 after escaping a nature reserve in Xishuangbanna.
On Wednesday, the elephants reached the outskirts of Kunming, the provincial capital of Yunnan, prompting the authorities to shut down several roads and ask residents to stay indoors.
According to Xinhua, the group, initially consisting of 16 wild elephants, arrived in Pu’er in Yunnan in November 2020 where a female elephant gave birth to a baby.
The herd then stayed in Pu’er for five months before embarking on their journey toward north.
In the meantime, two left the group, leaving 15 to slowly wander across the roads.
It is not clear why the elephants left their natural habitat.
According to Xinhua, their nearly 500km trek along highways and fields of crops has left a trail of destruction, with financial losses close to €1m.
The trek of the wild animals has gone almost unnoticed by major news outlets until a month ago when they were filmed by local residents, strolling through the streets of villages in Yunnan province.
In late May, the elephants wandered the streets of a town in Eshan county for several hours, while authorities monitored their movement through drones and surveillance equipment.
According to Xinhua, Forest Fire Brigade of Yunnan Province has gathered a task force of 360 people with 76 vehicles and nine drones to track the elephants.
