During the 40-day expedition for more than 500 kilometers, baby elephants were born, elephants left the herd, got lost, and returned to the team. Why did the wild elephants in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China want to leave? Where are they going? What information is worthy of our attention behind? “News 1+1” now connects with Yan Xun, a professor-level senior engineer of the China Wildlife Conservation Association.
The wild elephant herd is still walking aimlessly
Yan Xun: As I said before, the herd of elephants has been wandering aimlessly, led by the head, without any preparation. In a sense, this is a small-probability emergency. Through observations over the past few days, the elephants are still walking without a target or destination. Of course, with the assistance of relevant personnel, it has reversed its direction. On the whole, with the efforts of all parties, these elephants are currently stable and controllable, and the impact and losses on the local people are relatively small.
How do you think about the runaway Chinese elephant herd becoming a “star” of the world?
Yan Xun: On the one hand, China’s wild animals have attracted widespread attention in the world, indicating that China’s thinking on ecological civilization construction has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Yunnan’s wildlife protection has taken the lead in the country. This is why this year’s World Biodiversity Conference will be held in Kunming. Behind the holding is the conditions and confidence we have. At the same time, everyone’s lives are getting richer, and more ordinary people are becoming more and more enthusiastic about wildlife and the ecological environment.
Three male elephants have left the elephant herd. Why?
Yan Xun: When leaving the Xishuangbanna National Reserve, there were a total of 16 elephants in this herd. Later, one baby elephant was born. In April this year, two elephants returned. As far as I know, the two elephants that left the herd are also male elephants. Just a few days ago, another male elephant left. I personally judge that the elephants leaving the herd have no specific direction and goal. It may be that they left the group by themselves due to the adjustment of the population structure.
Will the elephants be more aggressive when they leave the herd?
Yan Xun: The elephant herd as a whole poses a greater threat to personnel and is more destructive. However, if a single elephant encounters an irritating factor without any worries, it may also desperately attack people or actively attack people. Therefore, we must take strict precautions against this male elephant leaving the team.
The wild elephant herd’s “all the way north” is not a migration, but an emergency
Yan Xun: I think the elephant group’s “walking out” was aimless, it was an emergency, and it was not like “migration” as some experts said. This is because wildlife migrations usually coincide with either a periodic movement from one place to another, or a mass migration of individuals in search of more food or for the purpose of reproduction. The herd’s current behavior does not fit either scenario. First, food is more abundant in the south than in the north. Second, we have not found any pregnant females in this herd, but a few calves and juveniles still suckling. In this case, the long-distance movements are not considered as “migration”.
In what way will the elephant herd end this “journey” in the end?
Yan Xun: There are no more than three kinds of situations: ① a long “farewell along the street”; ② a short time of “lift up the horse to send a ride”; ③ gift it free to return home. At present, the herd is walking freely with the assistance of human beings to guide it to its original habitat. Ultimately, of course, it depends on the decisions made by the front command.
In the future, there will be more and more contact between humans and animals. How can we live in harmony?
Yan Xun: With ecological protection, we can see more wild animals in China, not only in the countryside, but also in many cities, including birds, squirrels and so on. This is a good thing. At the same time, we also hope that through wildlife protection, we can make people understand that wildlife should not only live in harmony with human beings, but also we should provide more habitats for it. We hope you can keep a distance from wild animals and provide them with more food sources so that they can live freely around us.
Source: CCTV News