A herd of wild elephants play in a small mud pool in Dalongtan township, Eshan county of Yuxi, Southwest China's Yunnan province, on June 19, 2021. (Photos: Yuxi Public Security Bureau)

A herd of wild elephants play in a small pool of mud in Dalongtan township, Eshan county of Yuxi, Southwest China's Yunnan province, on June 19, 2021.

The famous herd of wandering elephants could be exhibiting a trend of returning south after their northward trek of some 500 km in Southwest China's Yunnan province, an expert said.

The herd entered Eshan county in the city of Yuxi at 9:48 pm Thursday after having traveled 13.5 km northwest, according to the headquarters in charge of monitoring their migration.

Shen Qingzhong, an expert at the headquarters, said despite a preliminary study suggesting a returning trend, the herd's specific routes are still to be determined after further research.