Yunnan plans elephant ‘canteen’ to avoid conflict
Print Edition
Southwest China’s Yunnan Province plans to build a huge 260-hectare “canteen” for elephants, offering the giant mammals bamboos and bananas, and to avoid human-elephant conflict.
The “canteen” will be built in the Simao District of Pu’er City in southern Yunnan, home to 38 wild Asian elephants.
Humans and elephants do not always live in harmony when they share a habitat.
In 2012, elephants were involved in 231 incidents resulting in damage to human property and have even attacked and killed villagers, said Li Yichuan, head of Simao District’s forestry bureau.
Local governments started purchasing insurance since 2011 to cover damage from wild animals.
“In 2011, residents received 3.24 million yuan (US$531,504) in compensation for damage caused by elephants. In 2012, the figure went up to 4.2 million yuan,” said Li.
Li added that the government hopes to cultivate the elephants’ favorite plants in the “canteen” and attract the wild animals to the area and away from the villages.
“This way, we can make sure elephants have enough to eat and they will interfere less in local people’s lives,” said Li.
According to the forestry bureau, the total investment for the “canteen” will be around 2.6 million yuan.
The first phase of the project involves planting 400 mu each of bananas and bamboo.
Meanwhile, district officials said they will impose stricter punishments on people who hunt and sell wild animals illegally.
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