Villagers in southwest China's Yunnan Province are now coexisting harmoniously with wild Asian elephants thanks to local authorities' monitoring and early warning efforts.

At the beginning of this year, a herd of 15 elephants strolled downhill to a sugarcane field in Lancang Lahu Autonomous County of Yunnan and then feasted on the newly ripe crops for several days.
"They rested in the woods near the sugarcane fields, so that once they walked out of the woods, they could enjoy the sugarcane," said Yang Suoqie, an elephant monitor.
"We strengthened patrols, prevention and control and put up some signs to warn people away from the area with wild elephant activity. We also asked them not to drive away, watch or take photos of the elephants in the principle of harmonious coexistence between people and elephants," said Zhong Lushi, deputy head and police station chief of a local town.
The local authorities have also established a public liability insurance for wildlife incidents to compensate sugarcane farmers for losses caused by elephants.
In Mengla County of Yunnan's Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, another main habitat of Asian elephants, a herd of 42 elephants were spotted foraging and frolicking beyond their typical home range by monitors earlier this year.
To prevent potential conflicts between the wild animals and local villagers, the monitors issued early warnings and called local police for help.
"I have been using drones to monitor the elephant herd. In the meantime, I'm using cellphone to inform villagers of the moving direction of the elephants and issue warnings on a mobile application to tell them to watch out," said Li Jie, an elephant monitor.
"Upon receiving a call, we would quickly dispatch personnel to rush to the site to ensure the safety of people and elephants. Through close cooperation with monitors, we have effectively ensured the life of residents in the vicinity is not affected," said Tan Jun, instructor of a local police station.
Later, the herd returned to the nature reserve without causing any trouble.
Asian elephants receive first class protection in China and their population in the country has doubled from about 150 in the 1980s to more than 300 today thanks to the country's increased conservation efforts.