KUNMING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The population of wild Asian elephants in southwest China's Yunnan Province reached approximately 360 by 2021, an increase of more than 60 from the 293 recorded in 2018, local authorities have said.

Asian elephants, an important species in the rainforest ecosystem, are under first-class national protection in China. The elephants are mostly found across Yunnan.

The species' population in China has shown an increasing trend over the last 30 years, which is strong proof that Yunnan has achieved remarkable results in its ecological civilization construction, and it is also a manifestation of China's continuous improvement of its ecological environment and biodiversity, according to the Yunnan provincial forestry and grassland administration.

Yang Hua, an official with the administration, said Yunnan has been improving the elephants' habitats and strengthening the construction of various systems, including monitoring, early warning and emergency response systems, to minimize incidences of human-elephant conflict.

The province has also established an expert committee for Asian elephant protection to conduct research on the species.