Wild elephants injure two in southwest China

A group of wild elephants trying to cross a river in China's far southwest left two tourists injured, state media reported Sunday.

The incident occurred Saturday afternoon in Yunnan province when the river-crossing pachyderms ran into a family of five people, the official Xinhua news agency reported, citing forest police.

A woman suffered a fractured right shoulder while a man suffered slight injury, the report said. Both were treated at a local hospital.

The incident took place at the Wild Elephant Valley reserve in Xishuangbanna prefecture, Xinhua said, citing the prefectural forest police.

The report added that police drove the elephants away but did not provide details on the nature of the encounter between the animals and the family.

In July, state media reported that a group of 14 wild Asian elephants attacked and killed a woman in the Xishuangbannna area before chasing police and investigators from the scene.

The rainforests of Xishuangbanna, which borders Myanmar and Laos, are home to 250-300 wild elephants, Xinhua reported at the time.

The animals are generally placid but can attack when they feel threatened.

In 2010, a man was reportedly killed by elephants as he picked peppers in Xishuangbanna.
 

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