Conservation efforts stepped up in Yunnan as more Asian elephants reintroduced to wild

Greater efforts are being made to protect the endangered wild Asian elephants in their natural habitat of southwest China's Yunnan Province, by carefully reintroducing captive elephants back into the wild at appropriate times.

The Wild Elephant Valley, tucked away in Yunnan's Xishuangbanna national nature reserve, serves as a natural conduit for wildlife, a place frequented by nearly 80 Asian elephants. It is the only place in China where the public can observe these magnificent creatures up close.

The issue is coming into the spotlight ahead of World Elephant Day, an international event marked annually on August 12 to bring attention to the urgent plight of Asian and African elephants.

On the eve of World Elephant Day this year, the Asian Elephant Conservation Management Center in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture has released footage captured by infrared cameras and unobtrusive drones of an adorable Asian elephant named "Abao."

The photos and videos show Abao wearing a tracking collar and freely roaming through forests and fields, with the elephant reported to be in good health.

"Abao was rescued in April 2018 from the Simao District of Pu'er City in Yunnan. After undergoing two years of wilderness training, Abao was released into the reserve in 2024. We have been monitoring the elephants condition through drones and infrared cameras, and are pleased to see that Abao is in good health," said Wang Bin, head of the center.

Experts have analyzed the footage and made a preliminary conclusion that Abao is able to live independently in the wild. Particularly noteworthy is Abao's ability to forage and navigate the wilderness, which is crucial given that elephants are nocturnal animals.

"We still need to monitor Abao's interactions with humans to ensure there is no dependency, which could lead Abao back to villages. This is a critical aspect that we will continue to observe," said Bo Mingwei, head of the Creative Studio at the Asian Elephant Rescue and Breeding Center in Xishuangbanna.

The Wild Elephant Valley, a mountainous area which spans some 12 hectares, has been designated as a semi-wild reintroduction area for rescued elephants. Here they undergo systematic wilderness training before returning to the wild, while the rescue center will continue monitoring their progress and assessing their behavior thereafter.

Additionally, mobile workstations have been established to mitigate possible conflicts between humans and newly-released elephants, ensuring both sides can live without incident.

So far, Xishuangbanna has rescued 23 wild Asian elephants. Among them, nine were returned back to the wild after completing the necessary checks, while eight were kept at the rescue center as part of the conservation efforts, later giving birth to a total of nine calves.

Conservation efforts stepped up in Yunnan as more Asian elephants reintroduced to wild

Long-standing challenges in Mexico's automotive industry have been exacerbated with the implementation of the U.S. tariff on imported cars, which took effect Thursday, fueling uncertainty and job losses.

Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 25 percent tariff on all imported automobiles.

Ciudad Juarez, one of Mexico's largest trade ports and a key manufacturing hub, is now facing even greater challenges as rising trade protectionism deepens existing pressures.

At a medal parts manufacturing factory that has been in operation for over 30 years, the workforce has drastically reduced from 60 workers to just 25 due to uncertainty about the future.

Even before the U.S. tariffs on imported cars took effect, mounting pressure had already begun to ripple through the industry, prompting many companies to suspend investment and procurement plans.

"Some 95 percent of the products exported from Chihuahua, where Ciudad Juarez is located, are industrial manufactured goods. We have held multiple meetings to discuss solutions. In fact, over the past year and a half, more than 55,000 factory workers here in the city have lost their jobs," said the owner of the factory.

The automotive industry is a key pillar of Mexico's economy, generating nearly 100 billion U.S. dollars in output. The auto parts assembly industry alone provides over 900,000 jobs for the country, while automotive assembly companies create 175,000 jobs.

According to statistics from the Mexican Association of Automotive Dealers (AMDA), over 40 percent of the components used by American auto manufacturers are imported from Mexico. Last year, Mexico produced four million cars, approximately three million of which were exported to the U.S.

Industry insiders indicate that due to the high degree of interdependence in the sector between the U.S. and Mexico, along with a shortage of skilled labor, the U.S. goal of bringing automotive manufacturing back to its shores through tariffs is unlikely to be realized in the short term.

Moreover, the established industrial chain in Mexico faces the risk of being disrupted, which will ultimately have repercussions on consumer spending and further exacerbate inflation in the long run.

"Young people from the U.S. are no longer willing to work in the manufacturing sector. I believe there will be no growth in the relocation of automotive parts and vehicles factories in the short term," said Guillermo Rosales Zarate, ADMA's executive president.

"Personally, I hope this avalanche of tariffs doesn't continue; otherwise, it will lead to more significant issues affecting the U.S. economy. If these tariffs remain in place long-term, it will be the American people who suffer the most," said Ricardo Ramos, a professor with the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez.

U.S. automotive tariffs deepen industry pressures, halt investments in Mexico