The tension is immediately apparent in Ma's village in Xishuangbanna, a subtropical prefecture the size of a small country where China's elephant population congregates. Conservationists say a 1988 hunting ban and strict protection of a sprinkling of fragmented elephant reserves has turned things around. - Habitat loss -Communist Party media portrays the 14 wandering elephants -– now pointed homeward after an 18-month odyssey -- as lovable symbols of China's conservation success. But Chinese scientists say growing habitat loss is part of the problem. A Xishuangbanna elephant national park has been proposed by Chinese scientists, but it faces a key obstacle.

Source: Bangkok Post August 19, 2021 02:26 UTC