China's wandering elephant herd

A herd of wild Asian elephants traversing southwestern China in an epic trek is creating chaos for local residents.

Entering villages, gorging on crops and breaking into farm buildings, they have already caused a million dollars' worth of losses. Water tanks have been drained, cornfields devoured and a barn's contents guzzled.

Protected in Chinese law, the herd crossed 500 kilometres of Yunnan Province within 6 weeks of leaving the national nature reserve.

Why the elephants have strayed from their home remains a mystery.

It's thought that the herd's matriarch may have lost her way and, with no fixed heading, the family are simply following her lead. Their mammoth hike is something quite out of the ordinary.

Closely monitored by state authorities to ensure the public's safety, early action has prevented any fatalities. Local people are being temporarily evacuated from locations in their path. Meanwhile, food and roads blocked with trucks are guiding the herd away from cities.

Wild elephants of the Yunnan Province number around 300. Although tales of solitary ventures into villages are not uncommon, nothing to this extent has previously been seen.

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