China’s wandering elephants head home after year-long trek

After a 17-month journey that has baffled scientists and drawn international attention, a herd of wild elephants in China appears to finally be returning home.

The 14 elephants were filmed crossing a river in Yunnan Province on Sunday night as authorities guide them towards their original habitat – a nature reserve in southwestern Yunnan’s Xishuangbanna. The animals are still 200km from the reserve, from where they set off on their 500km march north last year. They reached the major city of Kunming in June before turning south again.

Their migration has captivated the country and reportedly caused more than $1m in damage.