An elephant herd who made their name in 2021 with an epic seven-month journey covering nearly 1,300 kilometers in southwest China's Yunnan Province have been once again in the spotlight around the World Elephant Day for their happy life and expanded family.
Monday marks World Elephant Day, an occasion to raise public awareness about the protection of these giant animals. Three years ago, this herd of wild Asian elephants, known as a "short-nosed" family, captured global attention with their unprecedented migration. Starting from their natural habitat in Xishuangbanna, they left footprints all the way north, almost to the provincial capital city of Kunming.
They have been living in the dense forests of the Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve since their return in August 2021, and the family has continued to grow over the years.
The latest footage shows several members of the family have had babies, and some now live together with other herds.
Peng Jinfu is an elephant monitor, who tracks the movements of the tusked neighbors using different methods to provide early warning for nearby villagers.
"The elephants we observed today belong to the 'short-nosed' and Ranran families. Typically, they emerge from the forest at around five or six o'clock in the afternoon to forage and return at around six or seven o'clock in the morning. During the summer and autumn months, they often roam the nearby villages," said Peng.
In addition to monitoring, local authorities have also strengthened efforts to help those in need. A rescue center on the reserve has saved over 20 elephants from the wild so far, either injured or deserted.
For the first time, the center tried to release one of them into the wild earlier this year after two years of training, which is seen as a breakthrough in conservation efforts.
"The elephant was released into the wild after two years of training. We've been using drones and infrared cameras to monitor it, and so far, A Bao (elephant's name) has been in a good physical condition," said Wang Bin, director of the Xishuangbanna Asian Elephant Rescuing and Breeding Center.
Experts say the world still faces multiple challenges and should join hands for the animals' well-being.
"We hope to have more international exchanges and cooperation in the future. I think China's experience and practices in elephant monitoring, conservation and research are worth sharing with more countries. And we hope for more cooperation to protect this species through sharing these information and knowledge," said Chen Fei, director of the National Asian Elephant Research Center at the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.
In Yunnan, preparations to establish a national park designated for Asian elephants are in full swing. The facility is expected to provide a larger and more complete habitat for the much-loved mammals.
World Elephant Day: Migrating elephant family grows after returning to habitat
Chinese President Xi Jinping has wrapped up a state visit to Russia, where he attended celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War.
Xi arrived in Moscow on Wednesday to pay a four-day state visit to Russia at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin.
His plane was escorted to the Russian capital by fighter jets from the Russian Air Force after entering the country's airspace.
Upon his arrival at the Moscow Vnukovo Airport, Xi was greeted by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova and other senior government officials.
The Russian side held a welcome ceremony at the airport, where a military band played the national anthems of both China and Russia, followed by Xi reviewing the guard of honor and observing a march-past.
Xi attended a welcome ceremony hosted by Putin at the Kremlin on Thursday morning, before the two heads of state held both large-group and small-group talks.
Xi and Putin held in-depth exchanges on China-Russia relations, as well as major international and regional issues. They agreed to unswervingly deepen strategic coordination, promote the stable, healthy, and high-level development of bilateral relations, uphold the correct historical perspective on World War II, safeguard the authority and status of the United Nations, and maintain international fairness and justice.
"China stands ready to work with Russia to shoulder the special responsibilities given by our times, and make greater contributions to promoting our two countries' development and rejuvenation and upholding international fairness and justice," Xi said.
After the talks, the two heads of state signed a joint statement on further deepening the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era.
President Xi and President Putin also jointly met with the press before having a tea chat at the Kremlin on Thursday afternoon.
Xi attended a grand parade at Red Square on Friday, marking the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War.
After the ceremony, he and other world leaders walked from Red Square to the Alexander Garden, where they laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and observed a moment of silent tribute.
During his stay in Russia, Xi also held bilateral meetings with other world leaders attending the Victory Day parade.
The Chinese leader was seen off at the airport by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko and other senior Russian officials.
A farewell ceremony for Xi was held at the airport, during which a military band played the national anthems of China and Russia, and the Chinese president inspected the honor guard.
After Xi's plane took off, Russian Air Force fighter jets ascended to escort the president's aircraft.
As Xi made his way to the airport, local residents, representatives of Chinese enterprises, and Chinese overseas students lined the streets, waving the national flags of China and Russia to warmly congratulate Xi on his successful visit to Russia.
Xi wraps up state visit to Russia, attendance at Victory Day celebrations
