Wild Elephant Valley: Where elephants and humans coexist

In May, 2020, a group of 41 Asian elephants showed up at the Wild Elephant Valley in southern Yunnan’s Xishuangbanna which formed a peculiar and spectacular scene. They walked in a straight line in the forest, and made stops to play and seek food occasionally. According to a staff, these elephants come from 4 different families; there were even 6 “baby elephants” under 1 year old in the group.

Standing on a skywalk nearby, one can enjoy a panoramic view of the valley itself and elephants inhabiting inside. With a total length of 2,280 meters, the skywalk is considered the first one of this kind being constructed in rainforests worldwide where tourists can observe wild animals from a fairly close distance while keeping them undisturbed by human activities.

In order to better conserve Asian elephants and their habitats in Xishuangbanna, a key research institute named the Asian Elephants Breeding and Rescue Center has been established in the valley. In addition to this, a number of observation and conservation teams have been set up to monitor the activities of elephants, in hope of shedding new light upon the scientific understanding of Asian elephants as a whole. 

Writing by Duan Jianxin, Chen Chuangye and Zhou Liang; trans-editing by Wang Jingzhong