A herd of wild Asian elephants in China has captured public attention after one adult elephant appeared to intervene when a calf became trapped by an electrical cable at a charging station.
According to mainland Chinese media outlet The Beijing News, the unusual incident happened recently at a vehicle charging station along the Nanbang River in Simao District, Pu’er, Yunnan province.
Footage from the scene showed a young elephant with one of its hind legs caught in a charging cable. As other elephants moved towards the calf, it managed to free itself before they reached it.
However, one adult elephant then appeared to turn its attention towards the charging equipment, using its head to push over the charging box.
The incident was witnessed by a man identified as Pan, who was carrying out maintenance work at the charging station last Thursday (Aug 6). After noticing the wild elephants approaching, he reportedly hid inside his vehicle and switched off its headlights to avoid disturbing them.
The herd remained at the charging station for around 30 minutes before leaving the area.
Pan later inspected the site and found that the cable connected to the charging gun had been damaged.
The incident has since attracted attention online, with many viewers touched by what appeared to be an instinctive response from the adult elephant to help a younger member of its herd.
The elephant herd has since moved away from the area, while local authorities continue to monitor its movements and activities.
