Experts explain in detail: The elephants are out of the group or due to the rebellious period, and the elephants go home "about in winter"
This is an elephant group (drone photo) taken in Shijie Township, Yimen County, Yuxi City, Yunnan Province on June 13.
Photo courtesy of Forest Fire
According to the information from the Provincial Headquarters for the Safety and Precaution of Asian Elephant Groups in Yunnan Province, from 17:30 on June 12th to 18:00 on June 13th, the elephant groups continued to move around in a small area in Shijie Township, Yimen County, Yuxi City. .
The single elephant was out of the group for 8 days, located in the northeast of the elephant group, and continued to be active in Xiyang Township, Jinning District, Kunming City, a distance of about 16 kilometers.
The farmland where the elephant flocks stepped on for food.
Intern Zhu Yixin map
The Paper (www.thepaper.cn) learned from the scene at the “Media Meeting on Asian Elephant Conservation Theme Interview Activities” held in Shijie Township, Yimen County on the 13th. The loss of economic property starts the compensation work of the public liability insurance for wild animal accidents. After the calculation of the damage is completed, the residents along the line will be compensated for the losses. The insurance has covered the whole province of Yunnan, and the public does not need to purchase it separately.
At the same time, relevant experts on the scene gave detailed explanations on the focus of attention from outsiders, such as outliers and when to "persuade to return".
An outlier male elephant photographed in Xiyang Township, Jinning District, Kunming City on June 12.
Photo courtesy of Forest Fire
Why is the lone elephant outlier
This male elephant has been out of the herd for 8 days, about 16 kilometers away from the herd.
When the elephant group was active in Xiyang Township, Jinning District, Kunming City on June 6, it moved to the northwest and then turned to the south. The male elephant moved to the northeast after strayed from the group.
In the following days, the elephant group went southwest and entered Shijie Township, Yimen County, Yuxi City, while the outlying male elephants still stayed in Xiyang Township, Jinning District, Kunming.
Why is the lone elephant outlier?
In this regard, Shen Qingzhong, a senior engineer of the Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve Management Bureau, believes that the lone elephant is not a real outlier, "it may be like adolescence, the rebellious period has arrived."
Shen Qingzhong was interviewed by the media.
Wang Wanchun, a reporter from The Paper
Shen Qingzhong analyzed that based on his many years of observation experience in Xishuangbanna, Asian elephants are thinking animals. Adult Asian elephants can reach the level of human children of four or five years old. Baby elephants can stand within a few minutes after being born, about two hours. Then you can move with the female elephant, and some can take a bath with the female elephant in the water after a week. At this time, the elephant group will teach it some life skills; when they are about five or six years old, the little male elephants like to fight and play with each other. When they are six or seven years old, they will not stay with the elephants. Sometimes they will leave to play alone. When they grow up, they will leave for a few days or months, but they will still run back to the elephants, "just like adolescence." When I live with my parents, I want to go out and play for a while. This is not really outlier."
An outlier male elephant photographed in Xiyang Township, Jinning District, Kunming City on June 12.
Photo courtesy of Forest Fire
According to Shen Qingzhong, the real outlier of male elephants is about 12 years old, when they begin to mature sexually and have the ability to reproduce, and they need to leave the group to find a mate.
The important task of group elephants is to protect young elephants. Generally they will not harm people. But single elephants are especially dangerous. Even the juvenile male elephants will retaliate if they are frightened or irritated by people. The speed can reach 60 yards per hour, and sometimes you can't escape 300 meters from them."
Shen Qingzhong is worried that once a human-elephant conflict occurs, follow-up problems will continue. Too much human interference will affect the behavior of the wild elephant. After the conflict, the wild elephant will no longer be afraid of humans. But at present, "human elephant safety issues are dealt with." It’s very good.” People seem to be safe.
From 17:30 on June 12 to 18:00 on June 13, the elephant group continued to make roundabout activities in a small area in Shijie Township, Yimen County, Yuxi City. The picture shows the elephant group resting in the forest.
Photo courtesy of Forest Fire
When can the elephants go home
How to make the outlier male elephant return to the elephant group?
Shen Qingzhong said frankly that there is no better way for the time being.
However, he pointed out that "the elephant must be prepared to stay in Yuxi for a long time."
According to Shen Qingzhong’s analysis, it is currently summer, Yuxi has hot weather and rivers. The climate and environment are similar to those of Xishuangbanna. It is also the season for crops. The elephants do not lack food. After days of observation, "They are not in a hurry. Hurry up".
The Forest Fire Corps searches for members of Asian elephants and drones that can take thermal imaging of Asian elephants at night.
Wang Wanchun, a reporter from The Paper
According to official news from Yimen County, Yimen County is located in the connecting zone of Kunming, Yuxi, and Chuxiong. The topography is characterized by high mountains in the east, north, and west, a corrosive basin in the middle, and a Zhongshan river valley in the southeast. The environment resembles a horseshoe shape; it belongs to a mid-subtropical climate, affected by the topography and geomorphology, the three-dimensional climate is obvious, with a tropical to temperate climate.
At present, Shijie Township, where the elephant group is located, is located in the southwest of the county. Most areas of the township belong to the dry-hot valley. The annual average temperature is 18.2℃, the rainfall is 800 mm, the light and heat resources are abundant, and the three-dimensional climate is obvious.
Regarding the elephant group’s northward journey, Shen Qingzhong believes that the number of Asian elephants in Xishuangbanna has been increasing year by year, and the protected area is well protected, with tall trees and dense forests, and the increase in forest canopy density has reduced the number of edible plants for some wild elephants under the forest. This is one of the factors contributing to the migration of 15 Asian elephants to the north.
Just when the elephants showed signs of migration, the Asian Elephant Research Center of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration prejudged the direction of the north migrating elephants, and installed pulse electric fences in Mojiang, Yuanjiang, Eshan, Jinning and other places. Prevent the elephant herd from entering the market town.
On June 12, at the "Asian Elephant Northward Migration and Biodiversity Conservation Concentration Reporting Activity" held in the urban area of Kunming, Chen Fei, director of the Asian Elephant Research Center of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, said that this time the Asian elephant's northward movement is "an exploration by my country." A new model for solving the'human-beast conflict'".
In an interview with the media, Chen Fei introduced that the elephant herd all the way to the north is a normal migration activity for Asian elephants. However, the further north, the less suitable for the elephant herd to inhabit. , Go in the direction of Chuxiong; you may also return to the south, back to Pu'er and Xishuangbanna."
Members and monitoring equipment of the wild Asian elephant search and monitoring team of the Yunnan Forest Fire Fighting Corps.
Wang Wanchun, a reporter from The Paper
"The front-line command is indeed guiding the elephants to move back to Xishuangbanna or Pu'er." On June 13, Professor Chen Mingyong from the School of Biology and Environment of Yunnan University said in an interview with the media in Shijie Township, Yimen County, "Let them follow our rules. Go southwest, first walk to the Red River."
Shen Qingzhong also said that Yunnan has now entered the rainy season, and the river is rising. To guide the elephants back to Banna or Pu'er, they need to cross the Red River. “During the rainy season, the water level of the Red River rises and the elephants can’t get through. They may stay in Yuxi for a long time.”
Chen Mingyong also said that the successful introduction of the elephant group back was "about winter."
The Paper Journalist Wang Wanchun and intern Zhu Yixin