A wild Asian elephant killed a villager and injured another in southwest China’s Yunnan Province, local authorities said Tuesday.
Li Yunshan, a resident of Tuanjie Village, Pu’er City, was attacked by a wild Asian elephant while picking up mushrooms in a mountain forest alongside his wife Lin Youzhi, Li’s son Li Shaoyi reported to the local government at around 2 p.m. Monday.
The senior Li was killed instantly, while Lin suffered injuries to her face.
The site of the accident has been cordoned off, and authorities have warned local residents to stay alert.
Wild Asian elephants are under state protection in China, with about 300 living mainly in Yunnan Province. Enhanced protection for wild animals has seen the mammals’ number rise in recent years, but cases of clashes with humans have also increased, according to the local government.
Last month, wild Asian elephants killed two villagers in Yunnan’s Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture.