China News Service, Pu'er, June 16th. Title: Isolation and proximity of China's first "Fangxiang Primary School"
Author Miao Chao
"When we encounter an elephant, we have to stay away from it. If they disappear from here, we will be sad." said Zhu Hui, a fourth-grade student in Najib Primary School.
As the "broken nose family" of Asian elephants moving north continues to arouse social concern in China, a reporter from China News Service recently visited Pu'er City, Yunnan Province, where the Asian elephants moved north, where there is China’s first elementary school with anti-elephant facilities. -Najib Primary School.
In front of the primary school, a steel elephant fence with a length of 24 meters and a height of 3.2 meters separates 40 Asian elephants from 164 students.
Behind the physical fortifications, people are approaching Asian elephants from their "heart".
Chinese Asian elephants live in Xishuangbanna Prefecture of Yunnan Province all year round. As the ecological environment of the neighboring Pu'er City improves, more and more Asian elephants transit to Pu'er City for food and life.
In 1992, a single elephant entered Pu'er City from Xishuangbanna, and new elephant groups continued to move in thereafter.
At present, 181 Asian elephants have been monitored in Pu'er City, accounting for more than half of the Asian elephant population in China.
In the mountains and forests near Najib Primary School, there are more than 40 Asian elephants, once threatening the safety of teachers and students.
Tao Zhaobing, a security guard at Najib Primary School, said that in 2017, a herd of elephants broke the wall and broke into the school. In 2019, they broke the door again and broke into the school.
"In the early morning, I heard the calls of elephants, so I hurried out to take a look. Two elephants walked into the campus and ate up the banana trees in the school.
After the incident, the local government installed physical elephant defense facilities around Najib Primary School to prevent Asian elephants from entering the campus.
Tao Zhaobing told reporters, "Since the fence was installed, the elephant has never come in. It's coming, it came to kick the fence, but it couldn't move."
"In addition to installing physical anti-elephant facilities, we also re-planned the campus greening facilities to remove elephant-like plants and plant flame wood plants that elephants don’t like." said Zhu Chao, principal of Najib Primary School. For the safety of students, the school Regularly carry out anti-elephant exercises, open wildlife protection courses, teach children how to get along with elephants, and treat them scientifically, "Nature belongs to humans, but also to elephants and wildlife."
Student Zhu Hui is 11 years old this year and his home is in Najib Village. Every day she goes to school and is driven by her father. She has seen elephants in the mountains in the classroom, and seen elephants in the farmland from a distance on the roof of her home.
"Elephants are too big, we must keep a distance from them, but elephants also have a gentle and interesting side. They care for baby elephants and often play and play."
During the years of "getting along" with elephants, Zhu Hui realized that if people don't hurt elephants, they won't take the initiative to hurt people.
If the Asian elephant disappeared from Najib Village, she would feel sad.
Vegetables, fruits and other crops are planted in Naji Village. Asian elephants often come here to forage, but with the insurance provided by the government, the villagers' economic losses can be compensated.
Therefore, the attitude of the villagers gradually changed from "phobia of elephants" to "acceptance", trying to live in harmony with the elephants.
Perhaps Asian elephants feel the kindness of people, and they also learn to live in harmony with people.
As the young Zhu Hui said, "Elephants are smart animals. They have no malice. They just come out to eat something and return to the forest when they are full."
Li Guangliang, director of the Naji Village Committee, told reporters that Asian elephants come out at night and do not overlap with human production and living time.
In the face of potential dangers posed by Asian elephants, government monitors will promptly send messages to each villager’s mobile phone to ensure the safety of people and the safety of elephants.
Nowadays, Asian elephants have become a talking resource for villagers in Najib to go out.
Li Guangliang said that Naji Village is located in Yixiang Town, whose original name was Yexiang Town. "The literal meaning of "Ye" is changed to "Yi", which also means closeness." (End)