China's Wandering Elephants Captivate Millions With Their 500 Km Trek

The adventures of the huge mammals have captivated the nation, with hundreds of millions taking to social media to discuss their journey.

A herd of wild elephants in southwestern China have been captured on camera taking a breather from a 500-kilometre march of chaos that has caused more than $1 million in damage. Chinese state television has launched a 24-hour live feed of the herd as the country remains on watch following the 15 elephants' epic trek through homes, barns and crops in Yunnan province. Footage from state broadcaster CCTV filmed Monday shows the herd, tired from their adventures, curled up in a forest on the outskirts of the provincial capital Kunming. At one point in the footage a calf on its back stirs itself, trunk and feet sprawled in the air, before hauling itself onto a sleeping adult and nodding off again.