Recently, the Xishuangbanna Asian Elephant Food Source Base, which went into operation six months ago, attracted a group of 20 wild Asian elephants. It was the largest elephant population that had come to the base since it was established.

By using an ‘elephant early warning system’, park rangers working in the Mengyang Area of the Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve recently spotted a group of wild Asian elephants in search of food in the artificial ponds at Yuganba. The rangers immediately warned nearby villagers and reported to the Mengyang Management and Protection Administration. At 15:47 that day, the elephants entered the Asian Elephant Food Source Base and began to forage and play in the artificially planted bamboo and mulberry tree groves. Statistics show that the visitors consisted of 20 Asian elephants, including eight babies and twelve adults.

To increase the food supply for Asian elephants, the Management and Protection Administration of Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve has planted and renewed 1,500 mu (100 hectares) of bamboo and mulberry trees. The concentrated foraging area has helped prevent wild elephants from eating crops from nearby farms. Using the ‘elephant early warning system’, which is equipped with infrared cameras, authorities have effectively reduced “human-elephant conflicts”.