KATHMANDU: Elephants continue to be beaten and treated harshly at the Chitwan Elephant Festival. In a press release, animal rights organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Asia has revealed that extreme cruelty continued to take place at the elephant polo and football 'games' of the festival that recently concluded. Despite claims by festival organisers that they’ve put measures in place to stop the cruelty, PETA has documented, over the last week, handlers relentlessly beating elephants with sticks and bullhooks at the festival. 'It’s 2020 – the Chitwan authorities need to stop treating elephants like it’s 1820. They should focus tourism on the amazing local culture and leave animals alone,' stated PETA Senior Vice President of International Campaigns Jason Baker. 'It’s impossible to ride elephants and force them to play these meaningless 'games' without abuse.' At last year’s event, PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that 'animals are not ours to use for entertainment' – recorded video footage showing similar abuse to elephants. Earlier this week, PETA activists protested outside the Department of Tourism calling on the government to stop supporting elephant abuse by ending the Chitwan Elephant Festival immediately.