Elephant polo: Thailand, Sri Lanka and Nepal

This crossover sport began over a “drunken lunch” at the St. Moritz Tobogganing Club in the early 1980s, according to Jim Edwards, chairman of Tiger Tops Lodge in Nepal. Edwards had the elephants, so once he fashioned some extra-long mallets, the World Elephant Polo Association (WEPA) was born. Mahouts drive the animals and players swing the mallets in this surprisingly fast-paced game played in week-long stretches. Pros and local teams compete in three countries; the sport’s main purpose is to raise money for elephant conservation.