Chitwan, Dec 30: On the occasion of the 17th Chitwan Elephant and Tourism Festival underway in touristic town Sauraha, a picnic was organised for elephants here in Sauraha, Chitwan. On the occasion, 65 government and private elephants were fed food in the Chitrasari field.
The elephants were offered their favourite food including sugarcane, carrots, bananas, oranges, dragon fruits, apples and pumpkins, said Om Pandey, the Vice President of the Regional Hotel Association, Sauraha and the festival coordinator. The elephants were fed about 15 types of food, he said.
There was a crowd of spectators who fed the elephants at the picnic while the tourists who came to see the festival found the outdoor meal very attractive.
Apart from having fun by feeding elephants all sorts of dishes at the same time even it is just for one day, the garden party was organised for elephants to savour all types of their favourite food, said Binod Timilsina, manager of the United Elephant Management Cooperatives.
“Just as we are happy enjoying a picnic, elephants are happy when they are fed the food they like. It also sends a message that we should feed elephants well and take care of them.”
The outdoor meal will convey the message that elephants are not only employed but also nurtured, he said, adding that when many elephants ate at one place, the excitement of the festival increased and the tourists enjoyed watching the scene. The forest food is important to improve the relationship between humans and animals, he said.
Since 2014, the picnic for elephants has been in operation to attract tourists.
During the festival, the elephant beauty and boat race competitions have been completed. This year elephant race and elephant football game were not organised. Organised coinciding with the occasion of the English New Year, the festival will run until next Saturday. Domestic and foreign tourists come to Sauraha every year to enjoy the spectacular scenery and observe the flora and fauna of the Chitwan National Park, the buffer zone community forests and the rivers that flow through the area.
