Elephants take part in penalty shootout competition at annual mammoth festival in Nepal

Sauraha [Nepal], December 27 : Elephants in Nepal on Friday took part in a penalty shootout competition during the annual elephant festival of the Himalayan nation in the tourist town of Sauraha.

The elephants marched along the streets from the Chitwan National Park gate to the festival venue, where they participated in the penalty shootout competition, drawing hundreds of spectators.

Held after a gap of several years following objections from animal rights activists, the 19th edition of the Elephant and Tourism Festival this year introduced the penalty shootout competition.

A major tourist destination in Chitwan, Sauraha has revamped its tourism campaign this year, which is expected to help revive tourism and promote elephant conservation.

"The Chitwan elephant festival has been driving people from all across the nation. It is a celebration for us as well as the people who come here to attend this. This festival must be held once a year because we have started the elephant football, tomorrow we will have a beauty contest which will run for three days. The whole environment is cheerful and pleasant," Sante Mahato, an elephant caretaker of Sauraha, told ANI.

The festival, being held at the Baghmara Buffer Zone Community Forest in Sauraha, will continue until Monday.

According to the organisers, the primary objective of the festival is to increase both domestic and international tourist arrivals in Sauraha. At present, hotel occupancy in the area stands at around 40 per cent, but hoteliers expect it to rise to nearly 60 per cent during the festival period.

To attract more visitors, hotels and restaurants in Sauraha have announced various discounts on food and accommodation throughout the festival.

"It's really amazing that the community is coming together and people work with the elephants and the amazing stuff they do, which is pretty cool," John, a British tourist, told ANI.

A wide range of cultural, sports and entertainment programmes are being organised throughout the festival. On the first day, a procession was held from the entrance gate of Chitwan National Park, followed by an elephant penalty shootout competition and various cultural performances.

On the second day, the festival will feature live elephant beauty contests accompanied by traditional music, an elephant health camp, interaction programmes, boat races, additional sports competitions, and cultural shows showcasing folk songs and dances.

The final day will include elephant worship, an elephant picnic, the announcement of the results of various competitions, the distribution of prizes and certificates, the official closing ceremony, and an evening of cultural performances, according to the organisers.

Organisers believe the festival will not only promote tourism in Sauraha but also help convey messages related to local culture, biodiversity and elephant conservation at national and international levels.

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