An elephant ranger patrols a cornfield that was devoured by elephants the previous night in Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Southwest China's Yunnan Province, on May 11, 2024. Photo: Li Hao/GT

In a proactive move to bolster the protection of Asian elephants and enhance biodiversity conservation, a training program was launched in Xishuangbanna, Southwest China's Yunnan Province, with grassroots protectors gaining more  skills in elephant safety and building an early warning network.

The training, launched in Mengla County, south Xishuangbanna, which borders Laos and Myanmar, lasted for two days. It was a collaboration between the Mengla County forestry and grassland bureau and the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

The training aims to enhance the capabilities of ecological environment protection centers, Asian elephant monitors, and station staff across various townships in raising awareness and propagating safety measures concerning Asian elephants. 

The recent efforts by the governments of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and Mengla County have reduced incidents involving elephants, but the overlap of elephant habitats with human settlements still poses significant risks.

The two-day training activity involved over 50 participants, including dedicated elephant warning monitors and forest rangers from elephant-prone townships. The curriculum covers Asian elephant ecology, safety measures, and community outreach skills, with lessons delivered by elephant and biodiversity protection experts.

Ma Chenyue, Program Manager with IFAW in China, emphasized the long-standing commitment of IFAW in Asian elephant conservation in Yunnan since 2000. "This event marks the initiation of our human-elephant conflict prevention project in Mengla County," she noted. "Our training focuses on ecological knowledge of Asian elephants, biodiversity, and enhancing community engagement to prevent conflicts."

Luo Chen, a participant and Asian elephant monitor from Mengla Town, told the Global Times that "The training provided valuable knowledge on Asian elephant safety prevention. I will apply what I have learned to enhance future monitoring work."

Chen Meng, director at the Mengla County forestry and grassland bureau, told the Global Times that as the ecology continues to improve and observation equipment advances, the number of elephants observed is also increasing. Nearly 120 elephants are currently observed around Mengla. 

Situations of human-elephant conflict are a local problem. Elephants are now not afraid of humans and often visit farmers' fields to eat corn and other crops. The local area has currently established a relevant compensation mechanism for farmers, Chen noted.