Chen Jiming, 40, a member of the Dai ethnic group, has loved and respected elephants since childhood. For him, the creatures act as mascots for the Dai culture, as they symbolize power.

He has formed increased emotional bonds with the animals after working at the Asian Elephant Breeding and Rescue Center in Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province, for the past 14 years.

"My family didn't want me to do this job in the first place because they thought the elephants were extremely dangerous, and this placed me under a great deal of pressure. But over time, I have developed bonds with the elephants and come to know their personalities and living habits," he said.

"They are very smart and can sense danger in their surroundings."

In August 2015, Chen and his colleagues received a report that an abandoned elephant calf had been found at a resident's house in Simaogang town, Pu'er, Yunnan.

The calf, which was only a week old, was on the verge of death when it was discovered. To save its life, the team gave the animal basic medical treatment, before taking it to the rescue center.

"The center was 100 kilometers away, and during the journey, the calf was in shock three times. Its heartbeat was irregular, and its injured umbilical cord led to an abdominal infection," Chen said.

After surgery, the elephant was taken to a small room, where it was given 24-hour care. As there was no elephant milk for the calf, the team decided to feed it goat milk and to name it Yang Niu.

To provide better care, the team members moved a bunk bed into the elephant's room and lived with it for more than three months. "Sometimes at midnight, Yang Niu was hungry and would look at me with longing eyes and rub her nose against me. She was just like a kid," Chen said.

When Yang Niu reached adulthood, she didn't want to join other elephants, which rejected her because she smelled like a goat. After the rescue team smeared elephants' urine on Yang Niu's body, a herd accepted her after three to four months.

Like Chen, so-called elephant dads stay with the animals for more than 10 hours a day. To help the animals regain survival skills in the wild, they take them outside for training. "The aim is to help them return to the forest as soon as possible," Chen said.

The Xishuangbanna rescue and breeding center has helped save Asian elephants more than 20 times. It has also assisted badly injured elephants, those left orphaned and those with abnormal behavior.

In July 2005, Ran Ran, a 3-year-old elephant, experienced life-threatening injuries after becoming trapped by an iron clamp. An 81-member team anesthetized the animal and took it to the rescue center. At first, Ran Ran did not trust humans and would not receive treatment. After months of efforts, she finally recovered, and in 2019, gave birth to her first calf.

In May 2015, Xiao Qiang, a young elephant, was seen wandering alongside a river in Mengyang town, Jinghong city, Xishuangbanna. The animal had not been accepted by a herd for 55 days and had started to lose weight and become distressed. The team took it to the center and helped it regain health.

Nearly three years later, A Bao, a 12-year-old elephant, entered the downtown area of Pu'er, posing a severe danger to residents. The local authorities took the animal to the center, where it ceased its wild behavior after three months.

Netizens have warmed to these stories, which illustrate the determination shown and measures taken to protect wild animals.

According to the local government, there are plans to expand the Xishuangbanna center, which will continue to accept, rescue and breed Asian elephants.