Are Asian elephants losing their homes? The facts tell a different story

Search for China’s wild elephants, and you’ll find headlines like these: “Elephants are running out of habitat” and “Human-elephant conflict.”

Reuters once noted that while China’s wild elephant population was recovering, their available habitat had come under increasing pressure, potentially increasing the risk of human-elephant conflict.

The report also raised a broader question: How Xishuangbanna protects its elephants and ecosystems may help shape China’s broader relationship with nature.

So, what do the facts show?

August 12 is World Elephant Day, while August 15 marks China’s National Ecology Day and the day China’s Ecological and Environmental Code officially takes effect.

In 2021, a herd of wild Asian elephants in Yunnan traveled more than 1,400 kilometers over 124 days, drawing worldwide attention.

Today, China’s wild Asian elephant population has grown to nearly 400. From nature reserves and dedicated feeding grounds to early-warning systems and a strengthening legal framework, China is exploring a new balance between people and elephants.

Masood Khalid, former Pakistani ambassador to China, said China has achieved “all-round development” through people-centric policies. He noted that China could share its expertise, knowledge and technology with developing countries, particularly under the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative, “so that they are better equipped to preserve wildlife.”

K.D. Parakum Shantha, mayor of Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, Sri Lanka, also highlighted Xishuangbanna’s approach to development. He said Xishuangbanna protects the elephants in the rainforest while the city has developed within the rainforest without destroying the local ecology, calling it “a very great thing.”

The Asian elephant story offers a window into China’s broader system of environmental governance. As China’s new energy vehicle, photovoltaic and wind power industries continue to grow, its ecological practices are contributing more experience and momentum to the global green transition. (Huang Fang, Intern: Zou Hanjun)