Dear Friend,
Breaking PETA Asia eyewitness footage shows elephants who were forced to participate in the cruel Chitwan Elephant Festival being repeatedly struck and gouged with bullhooks—spear-like weapons with a sharp hook on one end—and their ears being violently yanked. Mahouts (handlers) also beat frightened elephants with other weapons, such as sticks and makeshift wooden knives.
One mahout can be seen repeatedly jabbing a baby elephant behind the ear to force her to "play" soccer. Right after the match, eyewitnesses saw that she was suffering from several fresh, painful, bloody wounds.
When these elephants aren't being forced to perform at this festival, they're used for rides by tourists visiting Chitwan. Elephants who are forced to "play" soccer or give rides are controlled through physical violence and psychological domination. They're chained and beaten with bullhooks or other weapons and constantly threatened with violence to keep them afraid and submissive.
Elephants used for polo games, rides, shows, and other forms of entertainment suffer tremendously. Even when not performing, they're typically deprived of everything that's natural and important to them.
Last year, more than a dozen companies dropped their support of the King's Cup Elephant Polo Tournament in Thailand after a PETA Asia eyewitness exposé revealed abuse similar to that documented in Nepal, and the tournament's organizers ceased their operations in Thailand—making the Chitwan Elephant Festival the only event in the world in which elephants are shamefully abused for and forced to "play" polo.
Since hearing from PETA and our affiliates, Renault, MINISO, and Carlsberg Group have cut ties with the Chitwan Elephant Festival. However, Mount Everest Group, an advertiser at the festival, has no plans to stop supporting it. Please join PETA in urging the company to make the compassionate decision to stop supporting these cruel games.
Thank you for your compassion for animals.
Sincerely yours,
Tracy Reiman
Executive Vice President
PETA
