PETA to Nepalese Officials: Rampaging Elephants at Chitwan Festival Would Be a Bloodbath

PETA to Nepalese Officials: Rampaging Elephants at Chitwan Festival Would Be a Bloodbath

the Minister of Home Affairs, Ramesh Lekhak, urging him to issue a formal decree ending the exploitation of elephants at the disgraceful Chitwan Elephant Festival, where elephants are beaten into submission and used as photo props and forced to give rides, and “play” football in front of raucous crowds.

PETA points out that the spectacle is cruel to elephants and poses a public safety risk. Earlier this year, a Spanish tourist was killed at an elephant attraction in Thailand, and in India, nine elephants killed five people and injured many others in just 10 days at events in Kerala. At the 2024 Chitwan festival, wild elephants and rhinos visited the area and agitated the already-stressed captive elephants, who could have snapped at any time. Once elephants go on a rampage, there’s no stopping them — serious injuries and deaths will occur, and the responsibility will rest squarely on the event organisers, sponsors, and supporters, as well as the Nepalese government, which has allowed this dangerous event to continue despite clear warnings and similar tragedies worldwide.

“The presence of both captive and wild elephants at or near this event is not just a matter of if an incident will occur, but when and how severe it will be,” writes PETA Senior Vice President Jason Baker. “The safety of attendees and the well-being of animals must be prioritised before a serious tragedy occurs.”

PETA’s letter to Lekhak is available here.

PETA Asia—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone. For more information, please visit PETAAsia.com or follow PETA Asia on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

Contact:

Keith Guo +852-6048-5802; [email protected]

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