Timeline: Travels of China's wandering elephant herd

KUNMING, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- A herd of wandering wild Asian elephants that caught global attention finally returned to a suitable habitat on Aug. 8 after they made a long journey from their forest home in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, about 17 months ago.

Here is a timeline of the animals' travel:

In March 2020, a herd of 16 wild Asian elephants left their home at the Xishuangbanna national-level nature reserve near the borders with Laos and Myanmar.

In July 2020, the mammals entered Simao District in the city of Pu'er.

In December 2020, the elephants entered Mojiang County, Pu'er City, and an elephant calf was born.

On April 16, the 17 elephants migrated from Mojiang County to Yuanjiang County in Yuxi City.

On April 24, two returned to Pu'er City.

On May 16, the other 15 arrived in Shiping County after leaving Yuanjiang County.

On May 24, the herd entered Eshan County in the city of Yuxi.

At about 9 p.m. on May 27, the mammals crossed Xi'e Road and an expressway in Eshan County.

At about 5 p.m. on May 29, the herd entered Yuxi's Hongta District.

At 9:55 p.m. on June 2, the herd arrived in Shuanghe Township in the provincial capital of Kunming.

At 7:55 p.m. on June 4, the animals left Shuanghe Township and entered Xiyang Township.

At 8:23 a.m. on June 6, one male elephant was seen wandering in Xiyang Township after leaving the herd.

At about 7 p.m. on June 8, the lone elephant left Xiyang Township and entered the county-level city of Anning.

At 11:15 p.m. on June 8, 14 elephants entered Yimen County of Yuxi City.

At 5:40 p.m. on June 11, the stray elephant returned to Kunming's Xiyang Township.

On June 17, the herd entered Dalongtan Township, Eshan County, in the city of Yuxi at 9:48 p.m., exhibiting a pattern of returning south.

At 10:07 p.m. on June 17, the stray elephant arrived on Bajie Street in the city of Anning and re-entered Shuanghe Township on the morning of June 20.

At 7:52 a.m. on June 21, the herd entered Shijie Township in Yimen County.

At 8:46 p.m. on June 21, the herd re-entered Eshan County, traveling southward.

At 11:50 a.m. on June 24, the elephants arrived in Fuliangpeng Township from Dalongtan Township.

From 5 p.m. on June 26 to about 5 p.m. on June 27, the herd headed northeast on a roundabout route and largely remained in the forest area of Tadian Township under Yuxi City, after five consecutive days of southward migration.

At 4:51 p.m. on June 27, the stray elephant entered Beichen Street in the city of Yuxi from Kunming's Jinning District.

At 6:27 p.m. on July 1, the herd arrived in Huanian Town in the city of Yuxi from Tadian Town.

At 10:50 p.m. on July 2, the mammals entered Yubaiding Forest Farm from Huanian Town.

At midnight on July 4, they entered Xinping County after leaving the farm.

On July 7, the strayed elephant was captured and returned to its forest home in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture.

At 8:20 p.m. on July 9, the herd entered Longwu Town in the Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture.

At 9:47 p.m. on July 22, the animals arrived in Honghe's Shiping County.

At 5:40 a.m. on July 27, they entered Yuanjiang County in the city of Yuxi. The wandering elephants began heading southwest on July 21.

At about 8 p.m. on Aug. 8, the herd crossed Yuanjiang River with artificial guidance, returning to a suitable habitat.