A herd of gentle giants, lumbering across China’s far south-western province Yunnan, appear to be finally heading home after travelling more than 500 kilometres from their habitat.
For more than a year, 16 wild Asian elephants have trekked through farms and villages, forcing thousands of local residents to evacuate and causing up to $1.2 million worth of damage.
Their odyssey has captivated the nation for months and the hype shows no sign of waning.
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Melting chocolates and worn-out soles in search for the giants
The elephants became an overnight internet sensation earlier this year and have been dominating people’s daily conversations in China.
Millions of Chinese have expressed their fondness towards the herd online, with some watching the animals eating, napping and showering through 24/7 live streams and daily updates from state media.
Qipeng Huang captures the elephants on his phone. (
Supplied: The Beijing News/Weibo
)
Lam Liu, who grew up in Yunnan, was checking the herd’s whereabouts on social media almost every day.
He said he was always interested in wildlife growing up, but couldn’t believe what was happening in his hometown could make such an impact.
“This has never happened before,” he told the ABC.
“It’s unprecedented to see such media coverage about nature and the environment in China.
“These elephants absolutely ignited the social media … even my grandparents knew about them.”
Such audience interest drove many vloggers and even reporters from across the ..
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