Scenes from the 12th Chitawan Elephant Festival

Originally published December 28, 2015 at 3:56 pm

Nepalese Mahuts with their elephant participate in elephant picnic as a part of the12th Chitawan Elephant Festival at Sauhara, Chitawan, some 154 kilometer from the capital of Kathmandu, Nepal, on December 28, 2015. More than 80 elephant with their Mahuts joined the elephant picnic. (HEMANTA SHRESTHA / EPA)

A Nepalese Mahut decorates an elephant before participating in an elephant beauty pageant on Monday, December 28, 2015. (HEMANTA SHRESTHA / EPA)

A ten-day-old baby elephant sits with his mother elephant at an elephant breeding center in Saurah on December 28, 2015. (HEMANTA SHRESTHA / EPA)

A foreign tourist takes an elephant bath at the Rapti River on Monday, December 28, 2015. (HEMANTA SHRESTHA / EPA)

Nepalese Mahuts with their elephant participate in elephant picnic as a part of the 12th Chitawan Elephant Festival on December 28, 2015. (HEMANTA SHRESTHA / EPA)

A Nepalese Mahut returns his elephant to shelter as the sun sets on December 28, 2015. (HEMANTA SHRESTHA / EPA)

An elephant tries to kick a soccer ball during an elephant soccer match on the second day of the 12th Chitawan Elephant Festival on December 27, 2015. (HEMANTA SHRESTHA / EPA)

Mahuts on their elephants play soccer on the second day of the 12th Chitawan Elephant Festival on December 27, 2015. (HEMANTA SHRESTHA / EPA)

A Nepalese boy stands under an elephant’s trunk during the first day of 12th Chitawan Elephant Festival on December 26, 2015. (HEMANTA SHRESTHA / EPA)

Mahuts on an elephant compete in an elephant race on the first day of 12th Chitawan Elephant Festival at Sauhara, Chitawan on December 26, 2015. (HEMANTA SHRESTHA / EPA)

Scenes from the 12th Chitawan Elephant FestivalBack to story Restart gallery

Tourists can interact with elephants at the festival.

Colin Diltz

Seattle Times photo staff

The five-day-long fair was organized by the regional hotel association of Sauraha to promote tourism in Nepal. An elephant race, a bullock cart race, a horse cart race, elephant soccer, an elephant beauty pageant and various cultural activities will be held during the event.

Colin Diltz: 206-464-2047 or cdiltz@seattletimes.com; on Twitter: @colindiltz.

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