Elephants kick off football showdown in Nepal

At Nepal’s Chitwan Elephant Festival, elephants wow crowds with a colourful football penalty shootout, part of a three-day celebration including a beauty contest and worship rituals.

Reuters

27 December 2025 at 14:04:34

A girl poses next to an illuminated elephant calf figure during the annual Joburg Festival of Lights featuring a collection of illuminated life-size animal figures, ahead of Christmas at the Johannesburg Zoo, in Johannesburg, South Africa, December 19, 2025. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

Siphiwe Sibeko

Elephants entertained tourists and residents on Friday (December 26) at the annual Chitwan Elephant Festival in Nepal's Sauraha, showing off their football skills on the field.

Painted with colourful designs, the elephants took part in a penalty shootout, following cues from their handlers.

The three-day festival includes the elephant football match as well as a beauty contest, and ends on the final day with worship rituals for the animals, organisers said.

A dedicated team of handlers or 'mahouts' cares for the elephants at a breeding and training centre in Sauraha, about 3 km (2 miles) from Chitwan National Park, which attracts large numbers of domestic and foreign visitors.

The centre houses dozens of elephants and calves and is one of Nepal's biggest elephant training facilities.

Production: Deniz Uyar/Reuters