ESCAPED ELEPHANTS LEAVE TRAIL OF DESTRUCTION

A herd of elephants can cause havoc when they move through the bush. Now, imagine the damage a herd can leave when they've escaped from a nature reserve.

Back in April, a herd of 15 elephants escaped and have since been leaving a trail of destruction. The herd escaped from Xishuangbanna, a nature reserve in the southwestern part of China.

Since their escape, they've managed to travel over 500 kilometres, and have left a trail of destruction including eating whole fields of corn and smashing up barns.

The Guardian reports that, in the last few weeks, the elephants have wrecked around 56 hectares of crops, causing an estimated $1.07 million in losses so far. Luckily, no casualties have been reported as yet.

The elephants are being closely monitored by authorities and residents. It is believed that the elephants are now in close proximity to Kunmig, a city that's home to millions of people.

So far, residents have been able to guide the elephants with food, and some have even parked loads of trucks on roads to steer them in a different direction.

Watch The Guardian video below for more on the elephants that have escaped and left behind a trail of destruction.

Image credit: WFSB