A herd of eight wild Asian elephants, including several calves closely guarded by adults, was recently spotted strolling along a lush and hilly rural road in southwest China's Yunnan Province. The elephants casually munched on roadside grass and banana leaves before moving onto the road and continuing on their unhurried journey.

Asian elephants are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and enjoy first-class national protection in China. Their wild population in China has grown from about 150 in the 1980s to nearly 400 today, a testament to the country's conservation efforts.