Watch: Elephant Crosses China-Laos Border, Ignoring Security Checkpoint
Surveillance footage captured a wild elephant crossing a checkpoint from southwestern China into Laos late Saturday and then returning through the same crossing only two hours later.
China Central Television broadcast the video Sunday saying that the elephant crossed from the Chahe border in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, into Luang Namtha, Laos, in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Border officers had sent two teams in order to warn nearby residents of the danger, however, the animal returned without incident.
According to Chahe border official named Li Zhifu, the wild elephant was probably looking for food.
"It's winter now and there's not a lot of food in the forests. We often see wild elephants hunting for food in nearby villages," Li said.
"The elephant has returned to the [Chinese] forest safe and sound."
Footage recorded at the border showed the elephant circumventing a barrier and making its way into Luang Namtha, Laos, about 4:30 a.m. local time on Sunday (3:30 p.m. EST Saturday). Officials confirmed that the animal returned through the same route and was last seen entering the forest.
Surveillance footage captured a wild elephant crossing a checkpoint from southwestern China into Laos late Saturday and then returning through the same crossing only two hours later.
China Central Television broadcast the video Sunday saying that the elephant crossed from the Chahe border in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, into Luang Namtha, Laos, in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Border officers had sent two teams in order to warn nearby residents of the danger, however, the animal returned without incident.
According to Chahe border official named Li Zhifu, the wild elephant was probably looking for food.
"It's winter now and there's not a lot of food in the forests. We often see wild elephants hunting for food in nearby villages," Li said.
"The elephant has returned to the [Chinese] forest safe and sound."
Footage recorded at the border showed the elephant circumventing a barrier and making its way into Luang Namtha, Laos, about 4:30 a.m. local time on Sunday (3:30 p.m. EST Saturday). Officials confirmed that the animal returned through the same route and was last seen entering the forest.
