Elephant Footie Draws In Crowds In 

Nepal

15th January 2011, 11:05

An elephant football match has drawn large crowds as part of an international festival in Nepal.

Guided by their trainers sitting on their shoulders, the animals dribble the ball and score goals to the delight of onlookers.

Now in its seventh year, the festival in the Chitwan National Park in Sauraha is one of the most visited destinations in the country - bringing in millions of pounds of tourism for the impoverished country.

The annual attraction began with just elephant and an elephant football match but it now includes elephant polo and even a pachyderm beauty contest.

The elephants that take part in the showpiece come from the Elephant Breeding Centre (EBC), located west of Sauraha.

Established in 1986, the centre has seen the birth of eight calves since 2008 and now houses about 40 elephants.

The latest arrival was a pair of twin elephants born in November 2008.