Elephant polo was recognized internationally as an official sport and had been established as an Olympic sport in Nepal. It was also played in India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Eight teams used to engage in ferocious competition for five days in November in Nepal, under the supervision of the International Elephant Polo Association. After James Manclark and fellow enthusiast Jim Edwards established the pachyderm version, elephant polo was first played in Nepal in 1982. Mahouts, or elephant drivers, were used in the game to control the elephants.
The globe over, Nepal is well known as a destination for adventure sports. In Nepal, elephant polo, a distinctive sport, used to be played. This game was first started in India around the turn of the century by members of the Maharaja's Harem as a form of entertainment. The first elephant polo matches used a soccer ball. After it was discovered that the elephants enjoy bursting the balls, the soccer ball was replaced with a standard polo ball. Elephant Polo, frequently referred to as the biggest sport in the world, has always thrown more than it could handle.
In a historic decision, the World Elephant Polo Championship will no longer be held in Nepal in favor of the anti-animal cruelty movement. Over the past 35 years, elephant polo had been played at Meghauli, Chitwan. The headquarters for the elephant polo competition was Tiger Tops, which brought a select group of tourists, athletes, and wealthy socialites from all over the world to compete in the championship, in which 16 elephants took part.
The question was- what would happen with elephant polo after Tiger Tops broke ground as the first safari company to end elephant safaris? Tourism companies would frequently gain notoriety because of the elephant polo competition, but it was clear that the sport's days were short due to mounting pressure from animal rights organizations.
As new activities like elephant camps (a responsible and sustainable tourism activity in which visitors are offered an elephant adventure that highlights the natural behavior of the jumbos) are held, Tiger Tops, which is now operating as Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge in Nawalparasi, believes the event's cancellation will not affect the prospects of wildlife tourism. Now, visitors can view elephants participating in chain-free daily life, residing in large, natural corrals as part of the initiative.
Photo Credit: www.peaklife.in, www.visitsnepal.com
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