China Officials Use Food, Roadblocks To Redirect Wandering Elephant Herd

China wildlife authorities will lure the herd of migrating elephants with food and set up roadblocks to lead them to suitable habitat as the animals continue their way to Yunnan province, state news media reported.

The herd drew international interest after trekking 500 kilometers (300 miles) from their home in the province's Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture to Kunming, the provincial capital with a population of 8 million, late Wednesday.

According to the headquarters in charge of monitoring their migration, the 14 elephants remained in the Shijie Township in the city of Yuxi Saturday. Another elephant that broke away from the herd eight days ago lingered in Kunming's Jinning District.

Last week, China officials dispatched hundreds of officers to watch their movements and avert conflict if they end up in a human settlement. According to Xinhua News Agency, 319 workers, more than 600 vehicles and 18 drones were monitoring the herd Saturday, and 3,548 people were evacuated.

Officials have been keeping a watch on the group for more than a month, including dispatching police to clear highways or steer them away from a heavily populated area.

On Monday, the gang took a day off and was seen sleeping together in an area of forest on the outskirts of Kunming, southwest China. The film of the herd dozing became viral as well.

All of the animals have been reported to be healthy, and no one has been wounded as a result of their interactions. Officials have issued severe instructions not to stare at them or attempt to chase them away with firecrackers or other means.

Asian elephants are under A-level state protection in China, where they are largely located in Yunnan. The province's wild elephant population has increased to roughly 300, up from 193 in the 1980s, thanks to increased preservation efforts.