A ROAD TRIP LIKE NO OTHER

They've trekked 500 kilometers from the southern fringes of Yunnan province and along the way they've captivated the people of China and beyond. The herd of wild Asian elephants that have made their way northward to the approaches of Kunming now have their every move watched－by forestry officials and legions of social media users.

It all began late last year when 17 elephants left their natural habitat in the Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture, in Yunnan's south. Of the 17, two elephants gave the group's travel plans a rethink after stumbling upon some alcohol in a village and returned to the herd's old habitat. Later, another male also left.

On Sunday afternoon, another member of the herd seemingly tired of the northward expedition and stayed behind in the Anning district on Kunming's outskirts. The rest moved on without him to Yimen county in the city of Yuxi on Wednesday.