Xishuangbanna Wild Elephant Valley sees tourist surge during National Day holiday

Tourist numbers at the Wild Elephant Valley in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province are climbing steadily during the ongoing National Day holiday from Oct. 1 to 7, with daily visits expected to reach 12,000. With comfortable daytime temperatures ranging from 22 to 35 degrees Celsius and mostly cloudy weather, the scenic area has become a popular destination for eco-travelers.

The Valley offers a blend of ecological tourism, science education, and leisure, featuring attractions such as an elevated elephant-observation walkway, a rainforest sightseeing cable car, and the Asian Elephant Museum. These facilities allow visitors to learn about Asian elephant habitats and lifestyles in a way that does not disturb the wild elephants' habitat.

Tourist numbers have been steadily rising throughout the holiday period, with daily visits projected to hit 12,000. To enhance the visitor experience, the park has launched special autumn promotions, including free cultural souvenir gifts for guests. Five regulated parking lots have been opened, with free shuttle buses operating between parking areas and the main park entrance. Additional volunteer staff are on hand to offer tourism information and wheelchair rental services at no cost.

For safety, the park has teamed up with professional monitoring teams to track the movement of wild elephants in real time.

Xishuangbanna Wild Elephant Valley sees tourist surge during National Day holiday

Infrared cameras have captured rare footage of a leopard cat and a hog badger appearing in the same frame in Baotianman National Nature Reserve in central China's Henan Province, highlighting a healthy ecosystem and improved habitat conditions.

The footage, filmed in recent days, showed the two wild animals moving through the dense forest without disturbing each other.

Additional footage also showed a Chinese goral -- a species highly sensitive to habitat quality -- spotted at the very same location, while Reeves's muntjacs and wild boars were also recorded roaming the area.

These sightings reflect a thriving forest ecosystem in the area. Thanks to long-term habitat protection and ecological restoration, wildlife living conditions within the reserve have continually improved.

Located in Neixiang County, Nanyang City, Henan Province, Baotianman National Nature Reserve is home to 359 species of wild vertebrates from 83 families and 32 orders.

It also provides habitat for nationally protected and other rare species, underscoring the need for continued conservation efforts.

Rare footage captures leopard cat, hog badger together in Henan reserve