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.
