Monitoring, early warning ensure harmonious coexistence between local villagers and elephants in SW China

Villagers in southwest China's Yunnan Province are now coexisting harmoniously with wild Asian elephants thanks to local authorities' monitoring and early warning efforts.

At the beginning of this year, a herd of 15 elephants strolled downhill to a sugarcane field in Lancang Lahu Autonomous County of Yunnan and then feasted on the newly ripe crops for several days.

"They rested in the woods near the sugarcane fields, so that once they walked out of the woods, they could enjoy the sugarcane," said Yang Suoqie, an elephant monitor.

"We strengthened patrols, prevention and control and put up some signs to warn people away from the area with wild elephant activity. We also asked them not to drive away, watch or take photos of the elephants in the principle of harmonious coexistence between people and elephants," said Zhong Lushi, deputy head and police station chief of a local town.

The local authorities have also established a public liability insurance for wildlife incidents to compensate sugarcane farmers for losses caused by elephants.

In Mengla County of Yunnan's Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, another main habitat of Asian elephants, a herd of 42 elephants were spotted foraging and frolicking beyond their typical home range by monitors earlier this year.

To prevent potential conflicts between the wild animals and local villagers, the monitors issued early warnings and called local police for help.

"I have been using drones to monitor the elephant herd. In the meantime, I'm using cellphone to inform villagers of the moving direction of the elephants and issue warnings on a mobile application to tell them to watch out," said Li Jie, an elephant monitor.

"Upon receiving a call, we would quickly dispatch personnel to rush to the site to ensure the safety of people and elephants. Through close cooperation with monitors, we have effectively ensured the life of residents in the vicinity is not affected," said Tan Jun, instructor of a local police station.

Later, the herd returned to the nature reserve without causing any trouble.

Asian elephants receive first class protection in China and their population in the country has doubled from about 150 in the 1980s to more than 300 today thanks to the country's increased conservation efforts.

Monitoring, early warning ensure harmonious coexistence between local villagers and elephants in SW China

The sixth China-Russia Media Forum, which was held in Beijing on Tuesday, discussed promoting friendship between and supporting development of the two countries through media cooperation.

Li Shulei, who is a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended the forum and delivered a keynote speech.

Attendees said that under the strategic guidance of heads of the two countries, China-Russia relations have maintained stable, healthy and high-level development, creating a model for a new type of international relations and relations between neighboring major countries.

In May this year, the heads of state of the two countries signed and issued a joint statement on further deepening the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, explicitly proposing deepened cooperation in the media sector between the two countries.

The media sectors of China and Russia should fully implement the important consensus reached between the heads of state, adhere consistently to the general direction of the China-Russia friendship, and foster a positive public opinion atmosphere for the common development of China and Russia, attendees said.

They also said that the media of the two countries should focus on major issues such as the alignment of China's 15th Five-Year Plan with Russia's economic and social development strategies, and report in depth on achievements of mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields.

They noted that the media should build bridges of people-to-people connectivity, promote exchange and mutual learning between the Chinese and Russian civilizations, join hands to address the challenges of digital and intelligent transformation, and work together to enhance the influence of the media.

The forum was hosted by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and the Russian Presidential Executive Office, and organized by China's Xinhua News Agency and Russia's TASS News Agency.

Approximately 140 officials and media representatives from both countries attended the forum. During the event, the two sides signed 11 documents on deepening media cooperation between China and Russia.

6th China-Russia Media Forum eyes supporting development of both countries