Elephants show off football skills at festival
The 9th International Elephant Festival in Nepal saw elephants of all ages partaking in a range of activities to highlight the endangered species and promote local conservation work.
The International Elephant Festival, which takes place in the Chitwan region of the country, has become increasingly popular with locals and tourists.
As part of the festival, young elephants from the area took part in a friendly game of football. The two teams of four which made it to the final were sponsored by the Kist Bank and the Gasuri Shankar Bank. The final result ended with the Kist Bank team triumphing 6-0. An elephant named Pelé emerged as the star of the show receiving the ‘mammoth of the match’ award.
Other activities included an elephant race which saw 20 elephants racing down a 300 metre track. Trainers of some animals painted white patterns on the elephant's bodies and painted their nails red. The race was won by an elephant named Bahadur Gaj.
Ninety elephants and their handlers also took part in a beauty contest. Contestants were assessed on their decorations, including headdresses and painted toenails. Just three made it through to the final with Chitwan Kali emerging victorious, with a panel of five judges praising her decorations and cleanliness.
Shankar Sainju, founding president of the organising committee of the elephant festival, said their next phase in planning is to begin building a fully-fledged stadium only for animal sports - with elephants regularly playing games of football. Their aim is to have it completed within the next five years.
Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
