Wild Asian elephants cause damage in Yunnan villages

KUNMING -- Ten wild Asian elephants have caused financial losses to villagers by eating crops in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Insufficient food in local forests in Ning'er County led the mammals to roam fields in several villages in the county, where they have munched on crops and played for the past two weeks, according to the local publicity department.

Some elephants even entered the houses of villagers to relax, sometimes causing damage.

So far, five houses have been damaged, as have more than 1,000 kg of corn, more than 500 kg of coffee and more than 0.67 hectares of banana trees.

The local government has taken measures to track down the elephants and protect the public. Compensation has also been handled by insurance companies.

Wild Asian elephants, with a population of about 300 in China, are under Class A protection. In China, they are mainly distributed in Yunnan.

With stronger environmental and wildlife protection efforts, the number of wild Asian elephants in China has grown in recent years.