Sponsors quit Chitwan Elephant Festival as campaigners cite Supreme Court welfare ruling

Elephant games at the Chitwan Elephant Festival, an annual tourism event in southern Nepal, are again under fire. Onlinekhabar reported on 10 November 2026 (24 Kartik 2083 BS) that Machhapuchchhre Bank and the Kathmandu tour company Himalayan Social Journey had withdrawn support after the animal-rights group PETA released video which, it says, shows mahouts striking elephants with sticks, kicks and bullhooks during games such as elephant football. Kanun Khabar linked the row to a recent Supreme Court directive.

PETA alleges that in one incident a mahout struck an elephant 64 times. The allegations have not been independently verified, and the reports carry no response from the organisers or mahouts. Jason Baker of PETA said the Supreme Court’s directive made clear that elephants should not be treated as tourism props, and urged the organisers to end the elephant events and the Nepal Tourism Board and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation to stop elephants being used at the festival.

What the Supreme Court ordered

The directive arose from a writ petition filed on 14 September 2021 (29 Bhadau 2078) by advocates including Sanjay Adhikari of the Forum for Protection of Public Interest (Pro Public). A joint bench of Justices Hari Prasad Phuyal and Tek Prasad Dhungana decided it on 17 December 2025 (2 Poush 2082), according to The Kathmandu Post; the full text was released on 16 July 2026.

According to Kantipur, the court described elephants as “sensitive wild animals of high intelligence” to be treated as sentient beings rather than instruments of entertainment or business, and said putting tourists on their backs is inconsistent with modern animal-welfare principles. It directed the government to:

• reconsider traditional elephant safaris and move gradually to an ethical, environment-friendly tourism model;
• introduce “elephant-friendly walks”, “bush walks” and observation-only viewing;
• make legal and policy arrangements for elephants’ natural behaviour, social needs and dignified existence;
• set up retirement and rehabilitation centres for old and disabled elephants and adopt chain-free management;
• provide open space, natural feed, social contact and veterinary care, and protect wild elephant corridors and habitat.

A directive order tells the government to frame policy and law; it does not itself ban the festival or safaris. No separate court order on the festival has been reported.

Owners and officials

The Kathmandu Post reported that Sauraha has 30 privately owned elephants in the United Elephant Operation Cooperative and 14 with independent operators. Cooperative chair Dipendra Khatiwada said ending safaris overnight could disrupt the whole tourism sector, and told Kantipur that owners were ready to move to a sanctuary model “but not right now”. Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation spokesperson Bed Kumar Dhakal said the directives would be implemented while addressing owners’ practical concerns.

What next

Reports do not give this year’s festival dates or the organisers’ position. Nyayapalika found no new government policy, guideline or action plan issued to implement the Supreme Court’s directive.

Sources

PETA’s allegations and the sponsor withdrawals are as reported by the media; the article will be updated if the organisers respond.

Other reporting

• Chitwan Elephant Festival games in controversy after Supreme Court directive (in Nepali) — Onlinekhabar, 10 Nov 2026
• Chitwan Elephant Festival in controversy after Supreme Court directive (in Nepali) — Kanun Khabar, 11 Nov 2026
• Supreme Court orders alternatives to elephant safaris (in Nepali) — Kantipur, 16 Jul 2026
• Elephant safaris at crossroads as Chitwan weighs ethical tourism shift — The Kathmandu Post, 19 Jul 2026
• Elephant operators seek alternatives after Supreme Court directive (in Nepali) — Kantipur, 13 Aug 2026