‘Hate Elephants? Come to Nepal!’ International Merchandise Launch Slams Cruel Chitwan Festival

‘Hate Elephants? Come to Nepal!’ International Merchandise Launch Slams Cruel Chitwan Festival

Chitwan – PETA’s international campaign to end the abuse of elephants in the Chitwan Elephant Festival has just taken a fashionable turn: a new shirt with a pointed message – which invites anyone who hates elephants to head to Nepal – is now available worldwide from the PETA store, with more items to follow. The release of the new merchandise comes as the tourism board remains silent about the hit on the country’s reputation and the festival’s major sponsors are cutting ties with it after hearing from PETA.

Multiple PETA investigations into the Chitwan Elephant Festival have revealed that elephants are beaten into submission by handlers, who repeatedly strike and jab the animals with sticks, makeshift wooden knives, and bullhooks – weapons that resemble fireplace pokers with a sharp hook on one end – to force them to “play” football. PETA has released disturbing video footage showing one handler jabbing, kicking, and beating an elephant at least 64 times in full view of the public. A mahout was seen smiling as he repeatedly stabbed an elephant with a sharpened stick, and another elbowed a curious baby elephant in the face. Many elephants suffered from deep, bloody wounds around their heads and ears. When not being forced to perform during the festival, the elephants were used as photo props or forced to give rides to tourists.

“Elephants belong in the forests with their families, not at a cruel festival where they’re beaten, chained, and forced to play demeaning ‘games,’” says PETA Senior Vice President Jason Baker. “PETA’s new merchandise will help compassionate people everywhere warn others to stay away from Chitwan until the festival stops abusing animals and goes elephant-free.”

In the lead-up to last year’s festival, actor, film producer, and PETA Honorary Director John Abraham sent a letter to Badri Prasad Pandey, Nepal’s minister of culture, tourism, and civil aviation, urging him to end the abuse of animals at the festival.

PETA – 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 on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

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