Nowhere Left to Retreat: Elephants, Trees and Capitals

In May, a herd of 15 wild Asian elephants continued their northern venture in southwest China’s Yunnan Province after their year-long journey from their home in Xishuangbanna Yunnan. Yunnan is th only area of China with wild Asian elephants. But for millennia, the habitat of wild Asian elephants stretched much farther north into China before human encroachment forced them south. An example of human impact on the environment is the widespread use of nanmu （楠木） wood in ancient...