Major Sponsors Withdraw from Chitwan Elephant Festival Over Cruelty Concerns

A number of sponsors have recently cut ties with the cruel Chitwan Elephant Festival, thanks to the tireless efforts of animal advocacy organizations—including Species Unite and PETA—as well as on-the-ground elephant advocates in Nepal who have been working for years to shut down this annual event. The festival forces elephants to perform in unnatural and demeaning ways for entertainment, with exhibitions like an elephant beauty pageant and sports events such as polo, football, and racing.

Pepsi, BYD, Buddha Air, Nepal Investment Mega Bank (NIMB), Mahalaxmi Bikas Bank, NLG Insurance, TechMinds Network, and Manakamana Darshan have all confirmed they will no longer sponsor the festival. Disturbing footage from past events revealed elephants, including babies, being abused to force them to participate. In response, Nepal Investment Mega Bank stated that it is “committed to stand against such animal abuse and cruelty.”

The withdrawal of these sponsors is a critical step toward ending this annual display of animal suffering. The Species Unite community has already sent nearly 9,000 letters to the Under Secretary of Nepal's Ministry of Forests and Environment and the ministry’s spokesperson, urging them to stop providing government-owned elephants for use in the festival’s violent sports events. These elephants are meant to be protected for conservation—not exploited for entertainment.

We’re continuing to share information and build momentum for the international movement to protect these elephants. If you haven’t yet added your voice, now is the time. Click the link below to take action and help keep the pressure on until this abusive event is shut down for good.