College gives 'elephant licenses' to new students

A college in Southwest China's Yunnan province has presented some new students with "elephant riding licenses" this fall as a promotion for wildlife protection.

The license, gifted by Yunnan Polytechnic College, has the driver's information on the left page and the elephant's information at the right. Each elephant has its own local name, such as "Shaobaogu", "Shaoerkuai" and "Xiaoyangyu", most of which are also names of food.

The license also has descriptions of "offenses" that lead to "points deductions", such as "drunk driving", "running red lights", "eating trees in the green belt" and "using a phone while riding".

College authorities said that wild Asian elephants are national first-class protected animals. Not only should students never actually attempt to ride these elephants, but they also should strive to protect these endangered creatures.

A wandering elephant herd has finally finished its northbound trip, returning to its natural habitat in Mojiang county in Yunnan's Pu'er city after traveling over 1,300 kilometers.

The herd became international stars in the process and sparked nationwide awareness of wildlife protection.