Elephant polo: Difference between revisions
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Elephant Polo in Nepal and Thailand is played under the auspices of the World Elephant Polo Association. WEPA enforces strict rules regarding elephant welfare and game play. As of December [[2007]], Chopard, [[Hong Kong]] is the reigning champion of the World Elephant Polo Association. Other tournaments, such as those played in India and Sri Lanka, are managed independently of each other and the World Elephant Polo Association. |
Elephant Polo in Nepal and Thailand is played under the auspices of the World Elephant Polo Association. WEPA enforces strict rules regarding elephant welfare and game play. As of December [[2007]], Chopard, [[Hong Kong]] is the reigning champion of the World Elephant Polo Association. Other tournaments, such as those played in India and Sri Lanka, are managed independently of each other and the World Elephant Polo Association. |
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'''Message from Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick, DBE MBE MBS DVMS on Elephant Polo:''' |
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Dated: 1st March` 2007 |
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"As someone who has always respected India's compassion for animals, it seems inconceivable that the City of Jaipur still plays host to Elephant Polo, and tries to fool the world that the Elephants enjoy it, despite hard evidence just a short time ago that a Polo Playing Elephant in Sri Lanka went beserk, injuring people and causing damage to a vehicle. Such anger can hardly signify enjoyment. It signifies a revolt against cruelty and abuse, and it is now time that all caring people also revolted against such cruelty and abuse. |
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Elephants are not designed to play polo and nor should they. |
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All who support this cruel activity contribute to the suffering of the Elephants, who have already suffered enormously from the brutal training techniques they endure which no sane person can call humane. I speak with authority about what elephants like and dislike, for I know them well, having hand-reared some 80 of their orphaned young, and rehabilitated them back where they rightly belong - amongst their own kind, and certainly not being forced to play Polo to entertain a public ignorant of the cruelty involved in getting an elephant to this point. I am recognized as a World Authority on the subject of what elephants like and dislike, having reared their orphaned young and worked with elephants for the past 50 years studying behaviour in a wild situation as well as acquiring an in-depth knowledge of the species through saving and rearing their orphaned young and I can categorically tell the world that Elephants should not be forced to play Polo." |
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Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick, DBE MBE MBS DVMS |
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UNEP 1992 Global Laureate |
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2000 BBC Lifetime Achievement Award |
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[http://www.stopelephantpolo.com United Against Elephant Polo] |
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== External links == |
== External links == |
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Revision as of 02:02, 4 January 2009
Elephant polo is a variant of polo played whilst riding elephants. It is played in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Rajasthan (India), and Thailand. Equipment consists of a standard polo ball and six to nine foot cane (similar to bamboo) sticks with a polo mallet head on the end. The pitch is three-quarters of the length of a standard polo pitch, due to the slower speed of the elephants. Two people ride each elephant; the elephants are steered by mahouts, while the player tells the mahout which way to go and hits the ball.
Although elephant polo was first played in India at the beginning of the twentieth century, the modern game originated in Meghauly, Nepal, reportedly after a drinking bout[citation needed]. Tiger Tops in Nepal remains the headquarters of elephant polo and the site of the World Elephant Polo Championships. As of December 2008, the world elephant polo champions were England. [1]
Elephant Polo in Nepal and Thailand is played under the auspices of the World Elephant Polo Association. WEPA enforces strict rules regarding elephant welfare and game play. As of December 2007, Chopard, Hong Kong is the reigning champion of the World Elephant Polo Association. Other tournaments, such as those played in India and Sri Lanka, are managed independently of each other and the World Elephant Polo Association.
External links
- United Against Elephant Polo
- World Elephant Polo Association
- The Pukka Chukkas - Playing Elephant Polo to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis charities
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- ^ BBC Website http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7768225.stm December 5th 2008