Thanks to a herd of migrating Asian elephants in China tourists flocked to their native wildlife sanctuary in Yunnan province in the southwest of the country. According to data from the Chinese online travel agency Qunar, package sales for the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, where the reserve is located, doubled compared to the same period in 2019.
The herd was first seen in December 2020, but soon disappeared from sight. In mid-April 2021, they moved north of the country, visiting villages, raiding farmland, farms and local shops in search of food. During this time, the animals crossed 500 kilometers from the "home" and inflicted damage to crops for more than $ 1 million. At the same time, not a single animal or person was injured during the herd's journey.
14 individuals are monitored by a group of specialists of several hundred people, and the herd's route is also monitored, including with the help of quadcopters. Video reports about the great elephant journey have already turned into a reality show, followed by hundreds of thousands of people on social networks.
Experts note that over the past few decades in the region, due to the development of agriculture and the transformation of forests into plantations, the habitat of elephants has significantly changed. The reason for such a long migration is not yet clear to scientists, but perhaps the disturbed giants went in search of a new place of residence.
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