A herd of 42 wild Asian elephants were spotted in Mengla County of southwest China's Yunnan Province recently, according to footage captured by the local monitoring team.
According to the team, the herds including 13 baby elephants mainly traveled between Mengban Town and neighboring Yaoqu Yaozu Township.
They displayed adorable and playful behaviors, often gathering in groups to bathe and frolic in the river.
According to the infrared thermal imaging captured by drones, three adult elephants slowly descending from the mountains, making their way towards the cornfields near the river. Shortly after, the other 39 elephants followed in batches.
The herds are strolling in Mengban Town at present.
In April, another herd of 41 wild Asian elephants appeared near the Shangyong Protection Area in Mengla County.
As wild Asian elephants are typically solitary or live in small groups, rarely coming together in such large numbers, the consecutive sightings of two separate herds of over 40 elephants in different areas were exceptionally rare.
According to local forestry officials, this is the largest recorded number of wild Asian elephants observed in Mengban.
The local government has organized elephant monitors to track and record real-time information about the herd as it has affected the daily lives and personal safety of nearby villagers.
Large wild Asian elephant herd spotted in Yunnan
