Elephants play football at the Central Highlands Festival On the morning of March 13, at the ongoing Central Highland Festival in Dak Lak province, elephants were divided into two groups to make penalty shots. The Central Highlands province of Dak Lak began its Buon Don Ethnic Cultural Festival and the Elephant Race on March 12. The festival, held in Buon Don district, includes a wide range of cultural activities, including a buffalo sacrifice ceremony and gong performance, which pray for bumper crops and prosperity. Visitors to the biennial event will also have a chance to enjoy performances of traditional music, costumes and cuisine along with touring the Yok Don National Forest and villages by elephants. The festival, part of the “2014 Central Highlands - Da Lat Tourism Year”, will last until March 14. Dak Lak province is dubbed as the home of tamed elephants. However, the number of the animals declined sharply from 502 in 1985 to 84 in 2000 and fewer than 60 in 2010. In order to conserve its elephants, the province implemented a project worth $3.1 million, under which a healthcare and research facility on elephant reproduction and conservation was established. The Elephant Festival is held in biennial cycle in Dak Lack province. The highlight of the festival was the football competition among elephants.   Before the game, elephants bowed to greet the audience. Elephant players were controlled by mahouts.     Mahouts used a special stick to control their elephants.   Each team had four elephants.     Elephant players.     Referee Nguyen Dinh Phuong said this year elephants not only competed for the ball, but also shot the ball to the goal.   Elephant Kham Sinh (05) scored a goal. The whole 18 tamed elephants of the Don Village are valuable assets to promote tourism development in the region. Zing/VNA