Trouble-making wild elephant tamed by blowpipe in southwest China

KUNMING (Xinhua) – Wildlife authorities used a blowpipe to sedate and capture a wild Asian elephant after it ran amok in a town in southwest China’s Yunnan Province.

The 20-year-old elephant Weizhayo, meaning victor in Dai language, was an underdog in a fight for mate and turned fractious after being expelled from the pack by the winning alpha, said the forestry and grassland administration of Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna.

The four-tonne animal then intruded into Meng’a Town in Menghai County six times between March 17 and April 4, tramping along crowded roads and damaging 16 motor vehicles and five buildings.

After meetings with experts, the provincial forestry authority approved the request for an “arrest.” The prefecture government then formulated a hunting plan and an emergency preplan, and set up an operation command.

On Thursday, the elephant invaded Meng’a again and walked around a school and a sugarhouse, activating the hunting. On Friday morning, an anaesthetist stalked the target near the town government building and shot a 1.2-ml narcotic needle in its rear using a blow pipe.

After about 12 minutes, Weizhayo fell heavily on the ground and was caged. It woke up about 35 minutes later with normal vital signs.

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