KUNMING, April 18 (Xinhua) -- A man has been trampled to death by a wild elephant in southwest China's Yunnan Province, local authorities said Wednesday.

The local government of Menghai County in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture was informed that a villager in Mengwang Village found a man trampled to death by a wild elephant near farmland at around 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

An investigation conducted by staff from the county forestry bureau, the forestry security department and an insurance company showed the incident happened Monday evening and the victim was a 63-year-old man surnamed Chen, a native of Chongqing Municipality.

Investigators contacted the victim's family, and his relatives will arrive soon to deal with the aftermath.

Monitors said currently there are over 10 Asian elephants wandering around Mengwang Village, and people should be aware of the danger.

In recent years, there have been occurrences of wild animals, such as elephants, causing casualties and property damage in Yunnan. The provincial government has bought insurance to help cover losses.

The wild Asian elephant is an endangered species. In China, the animals mainly live in Xishuangbanna, Pu'er and Lincang in Yunnan. The population of the species in China has grown from over 170 in the 1990s to around 300 today.