Monitoring, patrols strengthened as Asian elephants begin foraging in Yunnan

Jiangcheng County in southwest China's Yunnan Province, which boasts a noticeable number of wild Asian elephants, has inaugurated a special squad to monitor their movements and ensure the safety of villagers.

The county, in Pu'er City, Yunnan Province, with its thriving cornfields in summer, has become a feeding ground for Asian elephants, a wild species under China's national first-class protection.

Braving the scorching sun, a herd of Asian elephants emerged from the forests behind Kangping Town, Jiangcheng County on Monday afternoon, making their way toward a cornfield where they promptly began feasting.

Among these feasting elephants, the happiest were the calves. After filling their bellies, they lounged lazily in the cornfield -- some even playfully wrestling, with two young elephants intertwining their trunks in a game, and one resting a foreleg atop another’s head.

"A total of 59 Asian elephants have been spotted roaming in Jiangcheng County in recent days. They typically leave the forest to forage after 15:00. and don't return to the mountains until after 10:00. the next day. Their movement patterns are constantly shifting," said Fang Shuangcheng, an officer of the border police station in Jiangcheng County.

Multiple agencies -- including Jiangcheng County's forestry and grassland authority, local governments in elephant activity zones, and border police stations -- have coordinated efforts to ensure the safety of both humans and elephants.

With air surveillance drones and ground patrols, they monitored the elephants' movements in real time and issued early warnings to nearby residents, advising them to avoid approaching or disturbing the wild herds.

Additionally, the local government has implemented a damage assessment system, compensating affected residents through a wild animal accident public liability insurance plan, which was introduced in Pu'er County in 2021.

The Asian elephant, the continent's largest land animal, is a species mainly scattered in Yunnan's Xishuangbanna, Pu'er and Lincang.

Monitoring, patrols strengthened as Asian elephants begin foraging in Yunnan

The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) is ready to completely withdraw from the governmental scene in the Gaza Strip and engage in a positive and constructive manner with the second phase of the plan to end the war in the enclave, said Hamas political bureau member Basem Naim on Friday. In a statement, Naim said that the ceasefire deal became an international plan after being adopted by the United Nations Security Council. However, it is now facing obstacles.

He accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of reneging on his commitments and escalating the situation, in an attempt to return to war and save his political career. Pointing out that Israeli strikes have caused hundreds of casualties since the announcement of the ceasefire, the Hamas official said the escalation cannot occur without cover or green light from the United States. He said Hamas has committed to all its obligations under the ceasefire agreement, as attested by the mediators and the U.S., adding that it is ready for the second phase of the agreement.

He emphasized the Movement's commitment to the establishment of a fully empowered Palestinian body to administer Gaza, and its complete withdrawal from the governmental scene.

Naim warned that the situation will not be sustainable if the continued escalation of Israeli military operations and the persistence of the catastrophic humanitarian situation remain unaddressed, adding that the circle of fire may expand, which is what Netanyahu aspires to.

Since a ceasefire took effect on Oct 10, 2025, Gaza's death toll has risen to 439 with 1,223 injuries, according to local health authorities on Friday. Rescue teams have recovered 688 bodies during that period. In the broader conflict, at least 71,409 Palestinians have been killed and 171,304 wounded since Israel's military campaign in Gaza began in October 2023.

Hamas ready for complete withdrawal from Gaza governmental scene: official