PUER -- Pu'er City in southwest China's Yunnan Province has seen a rare elephant "baby boom" with nine wild Asian elephant calves born over the last year, according to the local forestry authorities.

At dusk in a recent day, a herd of 25 Asian elephants were spotted roaming and foraging on a local farmland near a wooded area. What made the sighting special was the presence of five to six calves in the herd, with the two youngest ones closely guarded by four adult elephants all along.
"The two calves were born around July and August last year. They were born one month apart and are now seven months and eight months old, respectively. Both are very healthy," said Guo Xingxiang, a staff member at the Asian elephant monitoring station in Pu'er City's Jiangcheng County.
The Asian elephant has a gestation period of 18 to 22 months, the longest among all mammals, leading to a naturally low birth rate.
The large number of newborns shows the success in Yunnan's elephant conservation efforts over the years.
With the nine calves, there are currently around 360 Asian elephants living in the province, more than doubling the number recorded in 1976.
These wild giants, known for their massive size and astonishing appetite, sometimes may threaten villagers' lives and properties.
To keep track of the roaming animals, the local forestry authorities dispatched a team of monitors assisted by drones and other equipment during their recent round-the-clock monitoring work.
As part of its conservation efforts, Pu'er City has rolled out wildlife accident insurance schemes to protect both the elephants and the interests of the locals.
Asian elephants are the largest land animals in Asia. In China, they are mainly found in Pu'er City of Xishuang Banna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and around Lincang City in Yunnan Province. They are classified as national first-class protected animals in the country.