National park proposed for wild elephants

An elephant feeds at the Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, Yunnan. [Photo by Wang Yuheng/For China Daily]

As the elephants seek more space for their offspring, conflicts have arisen between the animals and humans. Between 2014 and 2020, some 173 million yuan ($26.8 million) was paid in compensation in Yunnan for property losses caused by elephants, according to the provincial forestry department.

In early 2015, the department drafted a report on its plan to establish an Asian elephant national park.

Last year, a team from the Academy for Global Development at Beijing Normal University visited Yunnan twice to carry out surveys on the elephants' habitats. Based on the survey results, the team suggested a national park be built for the animals as soon as possible.

Wang Hongxin, head of the academy and the research leader, said: "China has launched pilot national parks across the country. A similar model can be applied in Yunnan. This will not only assist with a systematic protection plan for the elephants, but also help boost the region's biodiversity."

He said that in line with the national parks' management system, a well-designed plan will be formulated and related laws and regulations drafted, guaranteeing protection for the new park's wildlife.

Local residential areas, including those within the park, will be redesigned in an attempt to prevent conflicts between elephants and humans, he added.

"We expect to remap the elephants' habitat with an improved classification system, which will limit human activities in the core protected area," Wang added.

"Some small or isolated reserves will be connected and elephant habitats will be restored scientifically."

Wang also suggested introducing new technology for elephant surveillance and protection work, and building a data base to share information between rural areas and cities. He said such an open platform would further contribute to monitoring the elephants.

"Although Yunnan is the only area of China where these wild elephants live, they are State-protected animals and should be given more financial support from the central government," he added.

One of the main obstacles to protecting the elephants is that the main duties are shouldered by the authorities in areas most frequently visited by the animals.

Wu Zhaolu, a professor from Yunnan University's School of Ecology and Environment, said, "The recent case where the elephants headed north proved the necessity of building a national park, which will break administrative boundaries."