Beijing The six-tusk white elephant in the frescoes of Fahai Temple/data map
The elephant is the largest animal living on land today.
Buddhist scriptures often refer to elephants. For example, the king of elephants is used as a metaphor for the behavior of the Buddha. The mother of the Buddha Mrs. Maya dreamed of a white elephant and conceived. The elephant has great power, indicating that the Dharmakaya can bear it; there is no vexation and defilement, so it is white. In other words, the six teeth of a white elephant represent six degrees, and the four feet represent four wishful thinking. Puxian Bodhisattva is multiplied by a white elephant with six tusks, which is a metaphor for its great compassion.
Recently, 15 Asian elephants that originally inhabited Xishuangbanna, Yunnan went all the way to the north, causing widespread concern in the society.
This group of elephants is lucky, and there are people who are responsible for tracking and taking care of them along the way. More than 120 years ago, there was also a group of animals, the elk, which walked out of their usual habitat, but were hunted and killed by people. A few years later, those who stayed in the habitat were also robbed and killed by foreign powers, and the survivors were forced to flee overseas.
Let's take a look at the different stories of elk and elephant.
▲A herd of elk in the Dafeng Elk National Nature Reserve in Jiangsu Province (photographed by drone on October 4, 2018). Xinhua News Agency reporter He Jinghua photo
1900 elk
According to historical records, in 1894, the Yongding River in Beijing flooded, the flood washed away the walls of the royal hunting park, and the elk escaped, and most of them became food for the hungry. In 1900, the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded Beijing, and the elk in Nanhaizi was robbed and killed by Western powers, and the survivors were forced to embark on the road of exile.
The elk has horns like a deer, a face like a horse, hooves like an ox, and a tail like a donkey, so it has been called the "four dislikes" since ancient times, and it is a symbol of auspiciousness, imperial power, and exorcism.
However, since and in the Han Dynasty, this species unique to China has become increasingly rare and gradually declined. Records show that in the early 18th century AD, the last wild elk disappeared in the wilderness of Qiaotou Town, Taizhou City, Jiangsu Province. Since then, wild elk have disappeared on earth .
In the late Qing Dynasty, elk lived in the Royal Hunting Garden of Nanhaizi in Beijing, completely leaving the wild and becoming captive animals. The elk here have also become the last herd of elk in China.
In 1865, the French naturalist Armand David accidentally discovered the surviving elk in Nanhaizi. He bought two elk skins and a pair of skulls with 20 taels of silver and got two elk skins and a pair of skulls. A new species of deer never found.
Since then, the name of the elk "David Deer" has become famous overseas. People from Britain, France, Germany, Belgium and other countries have taken away dozens of elk from Beijing Nanhaizi Hunting Garden through secret purchases and other means.
▲Released elk running in the wetlands of Poyang Lake in Jiangxi (photographed by drone on April 3, 2018). Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhou Mi photo
According to historical records, in 1894, the Yongding River in Beijing flooded, and the flood broke down the walls of the Royal Hunting Garden. The elk escaped, and most of them became food for the hungry.
Even so, without the famous Eight-Power Allied Forces invasion of China at the end of the Qing Dynasty, people would not have thought that the elk would have completely disappeared from China, which has lived for millions of years.
In 1900, the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded Beijing, Nanhaizi Milu was robbed and killed by Western powers, and the survivors were forced to embark on the road of exile.
Until 1956, the British government donated 2 pairs of elk to China, and sent escorts to Beijing Zoo. However, after the return, the elk encountered difficult births and stillbirths, and the breeding work was very difficult.
In 1985, China organized Chinese and foreign experts to select stocking sites across the country and establish elk nature reserves. A year later, World Wildlife Fund selected 39 elk from 7 zoos and parks of the Zoological Society of London, UK, and presented them to China.
Since then, Jiangsu Dafeng, Beijing Nanhaizi, Hubei Shishou, and many elk protected areas in China have been built and developed, and the current population of Chinese elk has been established.
Elephant in 2021
Recently, more than a dozen wild Asian elephants that originally inhabited Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, broke out of the jungle and migrated hundreds of kilometers north, which not only aroused the Chinese people's "all-people viewing", but also attracted widespread attention around the world . The world is fascinated by the naive attitude and solidarity and mutual assistance shown by these elephants, and thus perceive a lovely, credible, vivid and three-dimensional China.
▲The wild elephant (drone photo) was taken in Xiyang Yi Township, Jinning District, Kunming City on June 7, 2021. (Photo courtesy of Yunnan Forest Fire Brigade)
Recently, the "super cute sleeping posture" of the northward migration elephants captured by drones was swiped on the Internet. Netizens exclaimed: "Too loving! Elephants are so cute when they sleep."When sleeping, three elephants tightly guarded a baby elephant in the middle. After waking up, the baby elephant found that he was stuck in it and couldn't move. He got up several times without success...
▲May 28, 2021 Elephant herd (drone photo) taken in Eshan County, Yuxi City. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Hu Chao "Elephant energy". On overseas social media platforms, many people liked their funny and funny, shouting "cute"! Some netizens saw the "super cute sleeping position" of the baby elephant under the guard of adult elephant. , couldn't help sighing: "This is the most beautiful thing I have seen in a day! An overseas netizen wrote: "We should learn from elephants, care for each other and love each other." "Such joy and encouragement, dedicated to the current world facing the intertwined and superimposed tests of epidemics and changes, are more precious.
Following the footsteps of elephants, the world sees a beautiful and warm China. With the careful efforts of the Chinese government and people Under the protection, the elephants traveled through mountains and rivers, safe and sound, and even gave birth to a baby elephant on the road. This moving plot makes the world intuitively feel that China is a land full of love. The French "Paris Competition Pictorial" website recently published the picture. Wen reported that it showed the picturesque scene of the elephants lying on the ground, lying down and resting, and praised: the scene of the elephants napping during the journey is "a beautiful scene in China". A netizen named Heinz said: " It's great that the Chinese government and people have kept them safe. "
" They are like human beings, the adults are on the outside and the youngest children are protected on the inside."
Following the footsteps of the elephant, the world has seen the meticulous, conscientious and highly responsible work attitude of the Chinese government, and has heard the sincere voice of the Chinese nation's kindness, friendliness, and love of nature. Many mainstream media in the United States and Europe have noticed that in order to deal with the seemingly cute, In fact, the dangerous wild elephants moved north to ensure the safety of the elephants. The Chinese government mobilized emergency teams, used drones and infrared cameras to track the movements of the elephants and evacuate the residents in time. In order to guide the elephants away from the urban area, the staff prepared In order to attract enough food to attract elephants, the roads were blocked with vehicles in advance. The Associated Press reported that in China, elephants have received the highest level of protection, and the number has increased steadily in recent years. Some foreign media also reported that Chinese netizens are even worried about the elephant herd. I catch a cold at night, and I hope to cover them with a quilt.
▲Fuji TV group entered Yuxi City, Yunnan Province to report. Fuji TV video screenshot
▲Japan TBS TV group lay down and reported on the group.Screenshot of video from Japan's TBS TV station
▲On June 8, the Associated Press reported on the migration of wild elephants along the way and their popularity The police and emergency personnel, equipped with corn, pineapples, etc., provided sufficient food supplies for the migration of 15 wild elephants, and dispatched trucks for protection and drone monitoring to ensure that they were kept away from harm on the way.
Netizen Mohsin Awan asked: "Don't elephants destroy people's houses?"
Netizen Liam replied: "People in Yunnan are tracking the whereabouts of wild elephants every morning, knowing where they are and what they are doing. It has become a social hotspot."
"The local government has activated the wildlife insurance fund, and compensates the local farmers according to the losses caused by the wild elephants along the way."
The migration of elephants this time is a relatively rare phenomenon in China , causing some property damage to the local people, which needs to be properly disposed of. However, the "fantastic journey" of the elephants aroused the psychological and emotional resonance of the world, and inadvertently gave foreign people a more objective, in-depth and comprehensive understanding of China. The joy and beauty that elephant herds bring to human beings is unforgettable. I wish them a safe journey, end the trek as soon as possible, and return to normal life.
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