China’s famous herd of wandering elephants have stopped for a well-earned rest after a record 300-mile trek across the country following their escape from a nature reserve.
The 15-strong group of wild Asian elephants has been wandering towards the city of Kunming, in Yunnan province, since April 16 when they broke out of a nature reserve in Xishuangbanna Dai prefecture.
They are now in the countryside in the Xinyang Township, around 55 miles south-west of Kunming, and were spotted looking exhausted as the group lay down in a forest with their legs and trunks sprawled out over the ground.
The herd appear to be sleeping in a pyramid shape as one baby elephant can be seen clinging onto an adult’s leg whilst one rests its trunk on another.
The elephants have come as close as two miles from the southern-most suburbs of regional capital Kunming, sparking fears they could enter the city and cause chaos.

The migrating herd of wild Asian elephants look exhausted as the group lay down together in a forest, with their legs and trunks sprawled out over the ground

A baby elephant looks content as it rests its front legs on the back of another sleeping elephant in the forest on Monday

A baby elephant is seen sprawled on the back of a sleeping elephant as the animals rest after their 300 mile trek on Monday

The elephants can be seen sleeping in two separate groups as they lay sprawled on the grass after their exhausting journey

Nap time! An elephant sleeps with its herd after walking 300 miles across China in a forest near the Xinyang Township