Aerial photo taken on June 12, 2021 shows a herd of wild Asian elephants in Shije Township of Yimen County, Yuxi City, southwest China's Yunnan Province. Photo:Xinhua

As China's famous herd of wandering elephants is heading home, Chinese netizens and experts excitedly discussed where their next journey may take them. 

The herd of 14 stray wild Asian elephants, who left home as part of a bigger group and wandered more than 500 kilometers across Southwest China's Yunnan Province, reportedly to have finally returned to their traditional habitat in the province on late Thursday night, which coincidentally was also World Elephant Day.

After almost a year and a half of well documented travel, the elephants are currently living in the woodland in Mojiang county of Puer city, a part of their traditional habitat, local authorities confirmed on Friday. All the elephants are within the monitoring range and in stable condition.

Excited by the good news, many Chinese netizens who have been watching the elephant herd throughout their trip, on Friday discussed the possibility of the herd starting another journey the next year.

"Elephants have long memories," one wrote on Weibo. "I wonder whether the stray elephants will remember the trip and tell their friends about it."

Another Weibo user mentioned tens of tons of food that local government and residents in Yunnan had offered the elephants during their trip. "Having felt the kindness and friendliness of humans, they may organize more 'elephant tourist groups' to visit Yunnan people the next year," she joked.

Wildlife experts also speculated that the elephant herd in Yunnan may leave home for another trek in the near future. "Elephants have no sense of boundaries, nor do they know the boundary of a [human defined] natural reserve," said Shen Qingzhong, an expert with the management bureau of Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, home of the stray elephants. "Attracted by food or others, they are highly likely to migrant again," Shen told media outlet Shangyou News.

It's nonetheless difficult to predict where the elephants may travel to next time, experts said.

The "elephant exodus" began with 16 members in March 2020. Three of them left the group and headed back halfway, and a baby elephant was born during the journey in December.

Yunnan takes great effort in taking care of wandering elephants. As of August 8, the province has dispatched more than 25,000 employees, 15,000 vehicles and 973 drones to monitor and protect their journey, and has provided them with nearly 180 tons of food such as bananas and corn, chinanews.com reported on Friday.

Yunnan authorities have vowed to further improve elephants' habitat. The construction an Asian elephant themed national park has been on the agenda, said Wan Yong, head of local forestry and grassland bureau.

Global Times