Yunnan Province in southwest China has taken further measures for the protection of wild Asian elephants, a species under first-class state protection in China. 

The population of these elephants has reached 293, a 52 percent increase over 193 in the early 1980s.

The data was released at the first meeting of an expert committee on Asian elephants, which was founded in 2018 to protect the species in China.

The committee consists of 18 members who specialize in the ecological study, conservation and breeding of Asian elephants.

Experts pointed out that although the measures to protect Asian elephants have made some achievements, there are still some problems such as the slow progress of habitat restoration and transformation, the lag of monitoring and early warning technology as well as the difficulty in breaking through key technologies. The conflicts between inhabitants and the species raised the concerns of the attendees.

The province will work on the restoration and construction of habitats of the species, covering 7,500 hectares in total, to reduce human-elephant conflicts. Besides, a monitoring and early warning system will be established and the local government will take measures to regulate and control the elephant population.

(Editor: Li Yunqi. Cover is a still from the video.)

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