Newborn wild Asian elephants spotted in Yunnan

Six new baby Asian elephants were born in the Wild Elephant Valley last week, showing that the endangered species’ population is growing steadily in Southwest China.

The six elephant calves belong to four herds that have been frequently spotted in the valley recently, and they are expected to stay there for some time, said Bao Mingwei, a vet at the valley, which is located in the Xishuangbanna national nature reserve.

The peak time for wild Asian elephants’ births and sightings in the wild Elephant Valley is between January and April.

Wild Asian elephants are protected by law in China. Thanks to the government’s efforts over the past 30 years to protect them, their population has grown to about 300, and most of them live in Yunnan.

The Wild Elephant Valley is also the only scenic spot in China where tourists can see wild elephants up close without disturbing them. About 100 wild elephants have been seen by staff in the valley for the past two years.