Elephants entertained tourists and residents on Friday (December 26) at the annual Chitwan Elephant Festival in Nepal's Sauraha, showing off their football skills on the field.

Painted with colourful designs, the elephants took part in a penalty shootout, following cues from their handlers.

The three-day festival includes the elephant football match as well as a beauty contest, and ends on the final day with worship rituals for the animals, organisers said.

A dedicated team of handlers or 'mahouts' cares for the elephants at a breeding and training centre in Sauraha, about 3 km (2 miles) from Chitwan National Park, which attracts large numbers of domestic and foreign visitors.

The centre houses dozens of elephants and calves and is one of Nepal's biggest elephant training facilities.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

1. VARIOUS OF ELEPHANTS PLAYING SOCCER IN FIELD

2. SPECTATORS WATCHING ELEPHANTS

3. VARIOUS OF ELEPHANTS KICKING SOCCER BALL

4. ELEPHANTS SEEN THROUGH SOCCER NETS IN FIELD

5. REFEREE SPEAKING

6. SPECTATORS WATCHING

7. VARIOUS OF ELEPHANTS PLAYING SOCCER

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Nepali) ELEPHANT CARETAKER AND MAHOUT, SANTE MAHATO, SAYING:

"The 'Chitwan Elephant Festival' has been attracting people from all across the nation. It is a celebration for us and the people who come here to attend this event. This festival must be held once a year, we started with elephant football and tomorrow we will have a beauty contest which will be held for three days. The whole environment is cheerful and pleasant."

9. VARIOUS OF ELEPHANTS PLAYING SOCCER

10. VARIOUS OF MAHOUTS GUIDING ELEPHANTS

11. SPECTATORS WATCHING

12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH TOURIST, JOHN (LAST NAME NOT GIVEN), SAYING:

"How do I feel? I feel like it's a really amazing thing that the community is all coming together and to see that the people that work with the elephants (mahouts and caretakers) and the amazing stuff they can do, it's really cool."

13. VARIOUS OF ELEPHANTS, WITH COLOURFUL DESIGNS, WALKING IN LINE

14. VARIOUS OF ELEPHANTS, WITH THEIR MAHOUTS MOUNTED ON THEM, ENTERING FESTIVAL AREA

15. VARIOUS OF DANCERS PERFORMING TRADITIONAL DANCE

16. WOMAN POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPH WITH ELEPHANT

17. WOMAN PETTING ELEPHANT'S TRUNK