The herd of wandering elephants in China is heading south. Authorities have released new aerial footage that appears to support a potential returning trend.
The headquarters in charge of monitoring the elephant migration notice in the most recent installment of drone videos that the herd may be considering returning home. However, experts stress that determining the herd's particular pathways will need additional research.
Experts fear that if the elephants continue their journey north, the habitat will become increasingly unfavorable for them. The herd has already traveled more than 300 miles from its original habitat.
It has been 15 months since the herd left its original habitat in a wildlife reserve in China's Yunnan Province. The elephants have captivated the world's attention in the last month.
With a task force of 360 people, 76 vehicles and nine drones monitoring their progress around the clock, aerial footage of the creatures has netizens fascinated. The herd's antics have made for one binge-worthy video after another, from seeing authorities try to keep the elephants away from populated areas to observing the group napping together in a forest.
The elephants have been traveling back and forth between Yimen and Eshan counties in recent days, providing significant challenges for on-site command and coordination of their migration. On Monday, 186 people were deployed, 4,106 local residents were evacuated and the elephants were given food.
Authorities also report that a male elephant that wandered from the herd about two weeks ago is now 15 miles away from the group. All 15 elephants are safe and continue to be protected by the Chinese government at the highest level.
In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of wild Asian elephants leaving their protected habitats and intruding into surrounding villages. Some researchers believe this is due to the destruction of their original habitats as well as changes in the species' eating habits.
