The games feature trained elephants playing human sports, like soccer and racing. Elephants are forced to run in the competition and if they don't obey then they are beaten with sickle and bull hooks. The elephants are also subjected to a beauty pageant where their toes and other body parts are painted with toxic paints. But, being an aware citizen or a responsible tourist, it is our duty to raise voice against such activities. Action must be taken to spare these endangered animals from being used as toys for human entertainment.

The annual December festival is the attempt of Nepal to promote tourism and conservation awareness of endangered Asian elephants but if we see nicely then this has been only an attempt to promote tourism. We can compare this condition with two tyres of a cycle where one tyre seems in very loose condition. Elephants are an endangered species in Nepal, and they are facing severe habitat loss and such competition has made the problem more deeper. These games do not promote any kind of conservation for their environment and within the next four years the organizer committee hope to build a stadium designed specifically to house the elephant games. If they succeed to build such stadium then it will be one of the most shameful and selfish step in the name of conservation.

These games are unethical to the elephant species. The animals are subjected to ridicule and forced to perform human acts so that people can be entertained. Attending an elephant game is no different than going to a circus. Endangered species should not be subjected to such types of forceful entertainment. They should be in their natural habitats, and we should do whatever possible to protect them.

The people of Nepal need to realize that forcing elephants to perform ridiculous acts is not going to help conservation efforts. So, we need to work on other alternatives for the conservation.

A video of the cruel killing can be viewed here:

KCA is a unique area which has been recognised as a Gift to the Earth by WWF's Living Planet Campaign. It is also selected as one of the 200 eco regions by WWF.

The government wants to allow international hunters to kill Himalayan Blue Sheep. These are the prey species of the highly endangered Snow Leopard.

Also, income from hunting generally does not benefit local communities and wildlife. AWNN wants the government to continue to develop KCA as an eco tourism destination, using community participation.

This is exactly what -if nothing is done- will happen from November 24, 2009, onwards in Nepal. The Gadimai Festival in Bariyarpur, Bara District, is held each 5 years. The mass sacrifice turns the entire area into a marshy land of blood. The Animal Welfare Network Nepal together with Anti-sacrifice Alliance want to end this bloody, cruel practice.

For more information go to Worship Without Cruelty at http://animalnepal.org/campaigns_wwc.htm

First hand observations show that the donkeys receive no medical care and suffer from malnutrition, open sores, lacerations, and general neglect.

In the absence of any care sick donkeys are left to die by the roadside. The situation of donkeys in brick killns has been compared to a 'mediaeval hell hole' by a social worker.