KUNMING: Tang Zhengfang, a farmer from Jinning District, Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, has been longing for some special friends — a herd of Asian elephants which he met by chance a year ago.
In March 2020, a herd of 15 wild Asian elephants left a forest nature reserve in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, and trekked about 500 km northward to Kunming in June 2021. During the time, Tang contacted the local government to donate about 5 tonnes of corn to feed the giant creatures.
“Hearing that the elephants were wandering near our village, I was quite excited, but also worried that they wouldn’t have enough to eat in the forest nearby,” the 50-year-old recalled.
These Asian elephants returned to their original habitat in Mengyang area of Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve on Dec. 9, 2021, where they have remained to the present day. Now, the elephants occasionally forage at the edge of the forests and live in harmony with surrounding communities, according to the management bureau of the nature reserve.
“I am pleased to know that they have enough food to eat and the local government has strengthened protection for them. I hope to have a chance to visit them,” said Tang. The management bureau of the reserve said that monitoring data showed that the baby elephants born during the northward journey are growing up and finding independence. –Agencies
