Wild Asian elephants play happily in SW China's Yunnan

Photo shows two male wild Asian elephants playing happily in Ning'er Hani and Yi Autonomous County of Pu'er city, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo/Wang Siqi)

Two male wild Asian elephants were recently spotted playing happily in Ning'er Hani and Yi Autonomous County of Pu'er city, southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Since September this year, over 10 wild Asian elephants have visited the county several times, and most of them have returned to their original habitats in Jiangcheng Hani and Yi Autonomous County of the city.

"Currently these two Asian elephants are still lingering in Yalu village, Mengxian township, Ning'er Hani and Yi Autonomous County," said Wang Siqi, an Asian elephant inspector.

Bathing in sunlight and fanning their ears, they came to a sugarcane field and started searching for food separately with their trunks after an afternoon nap around 4 p.m., according to the latest drone footage. They then played on a road and walked backward.

Li Zenggui, director of the forestry and grassland service center of Mengxian township, said that one Asian elephant is around 20 years old, while the other is around 30. Both elephants are in the prime of their lives.

Monitoring results showed that over the past more than one month, the two elephants have lived together harmoniously. Preliminary analysis suggested that they may come from the same elephant herd.

In recent years, Ning'er Hani and Yi Autonomous County has stepped up efforts in ecological environment protection, attracting many Asian elephant herds with more food sources for the species. Since the beginning of this year, the county has seen 246 Asian elephant visits.