Turning now to China's southwest Yunnan province. The Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture -- which borders China's southeast Asian neighbors -- is known for its tropical forests and wildlife. But it's been making national headlines for a different reason recently. A spade of attacks by wild Asian elephants on local farm communities have prompted authorities and wildlife experts to intervene. Wu Haojun has the story.

Their temper can be as big as their size. And they have no qualms about throwing their weight around. Zha Liu lives in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture of China's southwest Yunnan province, an area with an estimated 300 wild Asian elephants. A recent elephant attack at night claimed his good friend's life. He was there when it happened.

ZHA LIU, VILLAGER XISHUANGBANNA, YUNNAN "I can't fall asleep in the evening, so now I don't have the stamina to work in the day."

Local authorities have reported an increasing number of conflicts between people and wild Asian elephants, as the elephant population has almost doubled from the 1970s to about 300 now. Animal conservation and protection efforts have paid off. But now a new challenge is emerging.

GUO HUIJUN, DEPUTY DIRECTOR FORESTRY DEPARTMENT OF YUNNAN "There's now an increasing overlap between the living spaces of people and wild elephants. That's why we're seeing increasing and more severe conflicts between local residents and the elephants."

Drones, thermo imaging cameras and elephant feeding and watering stations have now been deployed to monitor the elephants' activities and keep them at bay. But experts also suggest looking to the local ethnic minority's relationship with wild elephants as a model for co-existence.

GUO XIANMING XISHUANGBANNA NATURE RESERVE RESEARCH CTR. "We rarely see cases of conflicts between the Dai people and the elephants because the people attach a sacred status to the wild elephants. They wouldn't drive the elephants away even if the animals ate or damaged their crops."

VILLAGER DAI ETHNICITY "We would never harm the elephants. We have to protect them. We cannot drive them away or they will seek revenge."

With modern technology and ancient wisdom, locals in the area hope it won't have to escalate into a situation of us or them. WHJ, CGTN.