China to further promote protection of Asian elephants

China will take a slew of measures to further promote the protection of Asian elephants, an official with the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA) said, according to The Xinhua News Agency reports.

Zhang Zhizhong made the comments at a themed event in Mojiang County, in southwest China's Yunnan Province, to celebrate World Elephant Day and call for greater protection of Asian elephants.

The NFGA official said that China will strengthen the protection and restoration of the Asian elephant's habitat and soothe human-elephant conflict by indemnifying villagers against wildlife-related damage and setting up an alert system.

Asian elephants in China. Photo by Xinhua.

Moreover, the country will establish a stable gene pool for artificial breeding, while conducting international cooperation and exchanges to boost the protection of Asian elephants, Zhang added.

Asian elephants are under first-class state protection in China. There are currently 300 wild Asian elephants in Yunnan and the population continues to grow.

To request a correction, please send an email.