"Elephant daddies" take care of wild elephants as children

With the echoes of elephant sounds lingering in the thick forests, the Asian Elephant Breeding and Rescue Center lies between tropical forest mountains quietly, around a 5-minute drive away from the famed tourist attraction of Wild Elephant Valley in south Yunnan’s Xishuangbanna prefecture.

There are 26 "elephant daddies" altogether in the center. Thanks to their efforts, the work of Asian elephant breeding and rescue has got continual improvement and breakthroughs. Today, let’s hear the sweet stories told by an "elephant daddy" on Asian elephants.

When we visited the center on April 15, a total of 9 baby elephants were said to have been born at the rescue center since it was established. The center raised about 50 million yuan, aiding and rescuing 24 wild elephants that either suffered from illness and disability or posed certain threat to nearby human life and property.

During these years, the rescue center also cultivated some technicians who have the practical experiences about rescuing wild elephants and artificial reproduction. Due to their life of getting along with Asian elephants and taking care of the elephants’ daily life, these technicians were nicknamed "elephant daddies".

Mr. Cheng Jiming is one of them. He was pretty scared at the beginning because elephants are too big. However, as times went by, they got involved in the elephants’ life and accepted by elephants. “Humans and animals live on the earth together. We must respect each other, and it is meaningful for us to protect and develop biodiversity on the earth,” said Cheng.

Reporting by Zhang Marui and Xia Wei (Yunnan Net); Trans-editing by Mo Yingyi and Wang Shixue