Approximately five kilometers from the China-Myanmar border, the Nangun River Nature Reserve in Cangyuan Wa Autonomous County in Yunnan has been enjoying a much improved ecological environment due to the efforts of the local government and the people. This has attracted a large variety and quantity of wild animals, including the wild Asian elepants, one of most endangered species in the world.

There were at least 18 elephants living in the area, reserve staff said, adding an elephant had just given birth to a baby and had been seen often escorting the calf.

The wild Asian elephants mainly live in south and southeast Asia, and there are only 300 in China. The majority live in the primeval forests in Xishuangbanna region in Yunnan, a place known as the country's sole habitat for wild Asian elephants for the last half century, according to zoologists.

The Nangun River flows through the reserve, where the luxuriant soil has bred exuberant plants, providing sufficient fruit and leaves for the elephants.

The nearby village have been frequented by the elephants, who often leave clear footprints along the routes they take.

Villagers said they often see small elephants play around in the paddy fields while the adults are bathing in the river.

"We Wa people (a Chinese ethnic group) believe there will be no poverty and unhappiness in a place where elephants live," said Bao Hongxing, 61, a local villager. "We are really glad to have these elephants settle here."

Since 1981 when the reserve was founded, over 120 households have moved out of the area, and no one is permitted to enter the reserve without government approval.

As a result, no fire has ever occurred in the reserve, and its forest coverage rate has increased from 33.3 percent in early 1980s to more than 80 percent.

Though the local Wa people have a long tradition of hunting, they handed in about 20,000 guns in response to the government's call for protecting wildlife.

"We will remain tolerant and not drive them away when the wild elephants are eating our rice crops," a villager said.

He said the local forestry department would give subsidies to the households whose rice crops were either eaten or trampled by the wild elephants.

Approximately 2,000 hectares of forest is needed to sustain one wild Asian elephant. The forestry department in Yunnan plans to expand the area of Nangun River Natural Reserve to about 55,000 hectares in an effort to give the elephants a more comfortable home.

(People?s Daily March 28, 2002)