Protecting the last remaining wild Asian elephants in China through enhancing cross-habitat cooperation

(Xishuangbanna, China – June 13, 2024) To enhance cross-habitat experience sharing and cooperation, a workshop bringing together management authorities, frontline rangers and academia from Xishuangbanna, Pu’er, and Lincang, the three only remaining habitats of wild Asian elephants, was held on 12 June. This is the first time in five years that a three-habitat workshop has been organized.

The workshop was jointly held by IFAW and Yunnan Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve Management Authority.

Currently, China has about 300 wild Asian elephants. The number of wild Asian elephants in China has more than doubled over the past three decades due to successful conservation efforts. However, as Asian elephants grow in number and expand their range areas, human elephant conflict (HEC) has intensified in all three habitats.

While the three habitats face different challenges in terms of elephant habitat distribution, elephant population composition and communities’ interactions with elephants, enhanced best practice sharing and cooperation are critical for the three habitats to adopt a coordinated and effective approach for elephant conservation.

“IFAW has been working on Asian elephant conservation in Yunnan for over 20 years. We understand the challenges faced by local governments, frontline rangers, communities and researchers and the gaps that demand cross-sector efforts,” says YK Ma, Program Manager with IFAW in China. “IFAW hopes to continue to work as a connector, bridging cross-sector cooperation and attracting more social resources to Asian elephant conservation.

IFAW launched the Asian Elephant Protection (AEP) program in 2000. From 2009 to 2014, the IFAW AEP program launched China’s first-ever village-level early warning system in Pu'er City, establishing a long-term and effective public safety precaution mechanism.

Since 2021, IFAW has been cooperating with Forestry and Grassland Bureau of Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna, including supporting local rangers with facilities, and establishing the first "HEC Prevention Community Ranger Network.".

As of December 2023, the trained personnels of the network had conducted a total of 540 awareness-raising trainings across 186 communities, reaching 13,571 villagers.

Besides supporting rangers, IFAW also works to develop local communities that neighbor wild Asian elephants.

Press contact:

Sabrina Zhang
Senior Communications Manager
Email: qzhang@ifaw.org
Tel: 86 13911116927