Elephant herd invades urban area in China after mysterious 500km trek

A herd of 15 elephants has invaded a residential area in southwest China after trekking 500 kilometres from a nature reserve – and no one knows why they’ve made the epic journey.

The elephants are approaching the major city of Kunming, prompting authorities to try and lure them away with food due to safety concerns for both the animals and people.

The creatures have poked their trunks into windows and lumbered along roads after entering a rural suburb of Kunming on Wednesday, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

The herd left its natural habitat in Yunnan’s mountainous southwest in March last year.