Climate change is forcing more animals on the move. This is one family’s journey.
In 2021, after fleeing their homes in the forests of Yunnan, a family of endangered wild elephants captivated millions. It was a journey of unthinkable proportions, faced with many hurdles and met with absolute fatigue, and soon became the furthest-known movement of any elephants in China ever documented.
The herd strayed over 300 miles between March 2020 and September 2021, giving birth to two calves along the way, simply trying to find a new place to live. Unable to find an area to settle, the world’s largest land animals roamed further until eventually reaching frightening new territory — city limits.
Because of habitat degradation and the longest, biggest drought ever recorded in the tropical forests of Yunnan, these elephants were forced to move. Their home, once a water-rich area, was unable avoid the impacts of our changing planet.
As the world continues to feel the impacts of climate change, particularly in the form of longer droughts, more and more precious resources, like water, will become increasingly scarce. And more animals will have no other choice but to embark on unprecedented migrations, like that of the elephant family in China, putting to test our ability and willingness to coexist with the animal kingdom.
For the elephant family of China, it was a happy ending. But their story illustrates the perilous lengths more animals will soon have to go to survive.
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