China expands conservation efforts for wild Asian elephants: report

KUNMING -- China has expanded its conservation efforts for wild Asian elephants through habitat protection, ecological restoration, early-warning systems and rescue programs, according to a report released Thursday by the Xinhua Institute, a think tank affiliated with Xinhua News Agency.

The report, titled "Living in Harmony with Nature: The Ecological Civilization Behind China's Wild Elephant Sanctuary," said sustained conservation efforts and science-based management have contributed to the steady growth of China's wild Asian elephant population.

Asian elephants, the largest land mammal in Asia, are under first-class national protection in China. They are primarily found in Xishuangbanna, Pu'er and Lincang in Southwest China's Yunnan province.

According to the report, China has established 11 nature reserves covering a total of 5,098 square kilometers across wild Asian elephant habitats.

More than 12,000 mu (800 hectares) of dedicated feeding grounds, dubbed "elephant canteens," have been set up across Yunnan. Planted with elephant-favored vegetation, the sites help improve habitat quality and food availability while reducing the likelihood of human-elephant encounters, it said.

China has also developed an early-warning system to help people and elephants coexist more safely. Since 2022, the system has issued more than 210,000 alerts on elephant movements and helped prevent more than 1,000 potential human-elephant conflicts, according to the report.

The country has strengthened its rescue and rehabilitation efforts. Since its establishment in 2009, the Xishuangbanna Asian Elephant Breeding and Rescue Center has rescued and rehabilitated more than 30 wild Asian elephants.

The report also highlighted advances in scientific research, cross-border conservation cooperation, and the ongoing establishment of an Asian elephant national park.