Extending the Behavioral Geography within the Context of Forest Restoration: Research on the Geographical Behaviors of Northern-Migrating Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus) in Southwest China

Abstract

In 2021, the northward migration of Asian elephants in southwestern China’s Yunnan Province attracted significant public attention. Exploring the behavior of Asian elephants will help to better protect this endangered species and further realize the harmonious coexistence of humans and elephants. Based on the news texts regarding the northward migration of Asian elephants, this study used network text analysis, social network analysis, and grounded theoretical research methods to explore the behavioral characteristics and internal motivations of Asian elephants during their northward migration. The results indicate that: (1) during the northward migration of Asian elephants, moving and foraging are their most frequent behaviors, and foraging may be the chief purpose of the migration. (2) Different behaviors of Asian elephants hide their behavioral choice preferences, including environmental, time, and behavioral preferences. During the migration, Asian elephants mostly move in low-altitude areas, often foraging or migrating around farmland in the afternoon or at night, returning to the mountains to rest in the early morning. Corn, rice, and other crops are their primary food; the change in their eating habits is influenced by the lack of herbs and woody plants inside the protected area. (3) The northward migration behavior of elephant herds is influenced by various factors, such as elephant population expansion, habitat change, and species migration characteristics, and the relationship between conservation and development needs to be balanced.