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Rescue, breeding center in Yunnan provides temporary haven for wild elephants

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      China

      China

      Rescue, breeding center in Yunnan provides temporary haven for wild elephants

      2024-09-01 19:27 Last Updated At:09-02 01:27

      The Asian Elephant Breeding and Rescue Center in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, has established itself as a crucial sanctuary for wild elephants, offering vital support and protection to prepare them for a successful return to their natural habitats.

      Chen Jiming, an elephant breeder at the center, is responsible for overseeing the elephants' pre-release training at the Xishuangbanna Wild Elephant Valley.

      "For this type of training, we let the elephants eat and drink as they please. In the rainforest, they lead us, and we follow wherever they go," Chen said.

      The training focuses on elephants that are not yet fit for wild survival due to factors like injuries. Each elephant's details and history are carefully documented to ensure effective care and protection.

      The tasks involved in rescuing and protecting these elephants are both complex and scientifically rigorous. Since its official opening in 2009, the center has conducted over 20 field rescues and has successfully rehabilitated 18 wild Asian elephants.

      "Years of experience in rescue work have improved our protection efforts, leading to better health for the elephants and bringing them closer to conditions suitable for rewilding," said Wang Bin, director of the center.

      As a flagship species of China's tropical rainforests and one of Asia's most iconic land vertebrates, the Asian elephants were listed as critically endangered species under emergency protection during China's 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).

      National conservation efforts have intensified in recent years, with over 200 million yuan (about 28.2 million U.S. dollars) allocated for the protection and management of Asian elephants since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period. Consequently, the population of wild Asian elephants in Yunnan has increased from 150 to over 300 in the past three decades.

      "From an ecological standpoint, what we usually call flagship or umbrella species are like an umbrella. Protecting these species - by ensuring adequate habitat and food - ultimately increases their population which signifies that they help safeguard the broader environment. The growth in the elephant population reflects the improving health of our ecosystem," said Chen Fei, director of the Asian elephant research center of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

      Rescue, breeding center in Yunnan provides temporary haven for wild elephants

      Rescue, breeding center in Yunnan provides temporary haven for wild elephants

      Next Article

      Chinese schools embrace AI technology as new semester kicks off nationwide

      2025-02-17 15:28 Last Updated At:16:07

      Primary and middle schools across China have been integrating artificial intelligence (AI) technology into their class instructions to help students embrace the latest technologies, as the new semester kicked off nationwide.

      On Monday, the opening day of the new semester in the Chinese capital, the Beijing Haidian District Experimental Primary School set up an AI-robot featuring the character of Ne Zha from the animated blockbuster to greet students in their first day of class at the entrance.

      The robot, co-developed by teachers and students of the school, is equipped with an intelligent interaction system and a visual sensor to detect students' movements. In the new semester, it will also serve as a supervisor to monitor safety on campus and to ensure a secure environment for students during breaks.

      "During the winter break, the animated film Ne Zha gained immense popularity, and students became very fond of the IP (intellectual property) character. Inspired by this, we developed a robot that incorporates elements from the movie. We hope it will encourage students to be fearless, embrace challenges, and pursue their dreams with determination just like Ne Zha. Meanwhile, we are placing this robot in school corridors, where it can issue early warnings to dangerous behaviors, such as running or shoving," said Zhang Xiaolong, the Party secretary of the Beijing Haidian District Experimental Primary School.

      This semester, many schools have also added AI-related courses to their curriculum to actively prepare students for the technological transformations brought about by the AI era.

      "We can not only use AI to help us improve our learning efficiency, but we also learned that AI can be used in self-driving cars and medical diagnosis to make our lives more convenient," said Wang Zihan, a student with the Fourth Central School in Luxi Town of Pingxiang City, east China's Jiangxi Province.

      Chinese schools embrace AI technology as new semester kicks off nationwide

      Chinese schools embrace AI technology as new semester kicks off nationwide

      Chinese schools embrace AI technology as new semester kicks off nationwide

      Chinese schools embrace AI technology as new semester kicks off nationwide

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