Jinghong is a city in Southwest China's Yunnan Province. The city will soon open a food source1especially developed for Asian elephants, in an effort to reduce2between humans and the animal.
The project with investment of 1 million yuan ($154, 686), 3in December and was completed in May. The base, which 4three townships across 67 hectares, has grown some of the elephants' favorite 5including 38, 000 musa basjoo trees, a species of banana. Construction workers also built several ponds and 62 metric tons of salt to meet the elephants' mineral 7.
"The project is meant to improve the quality of Asian elephants' habitat, enrich their food sources and provide them with more to 8 "said Cha Wei, an official from the bureau, " After the 9of the project, elephants will be able to eat in the food source base, which can stop them from foraging (觅食） in 10and damaging farmers' crops." Obviously, the increasing number of Asian elephants is closely linked to the growing awareness of people to protect11
Cha explained that elephants are very12and understanding of each other. When their population reaches a certain number, a herd will 13to reduce crowding and14interbreeding (异种交配）. "The elephants' trek (长途跋涉） earlier this year also 15the rising number of herds" Cha said, 16a herd of 15 elephants that17their habitat in Xishuangbanna and started migrating (迁徙） north in March last year, with their 18attracting global attention. 19ongoing wildlife protection efforts, the number of wild Asian elephants in the province has increased from 170 in 1980 to 300 today. Jinghong is home to about 185 elephants, and their habitat 20into about 350, 000 hectares.
