A Herd of Wild Elephants Take a Well Deserved Nap After Trekking 500 Kilometers Across Southwest China

A herd of 15 wild elephants decided to take a much-needed nap in a comfy clearing inside a local forest outside Kunming City, the capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province. The tired pachyderms were on a 500 kilometer trek across China, however severe rainstorms and swollen rivers impeded their collective journey. Each of the 15 adults was soundly sleeping while a very young calf fidgeted around a bit.

Because the elephants can’t make their traditional migration across, China employed drones to keep overhead eyes on the herd, and state controlled CCTV+ is keeping track.

Images of the herd of 15 Asian elephants walking through a residential area appeared on social media and sparked intense media interest. Chinese authorities dispatched a task force to track them. State TV has spent days following their every footstep.

This herd is among several that are affected by the surging rivers.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.

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