With her toe nails painted red and a lotus on her trunk, 35-year-old Buffkali took the trophy at the end of the nine-day festival that ended Friday.

But while elephants were judged on how well they were decorated and groomed, officials were also meant to check their heads and ears for signs of beatings.

Many outsiders were also looking for signs of abuse at the festival, which has been held in the Chitwan district, home to Nepal’s most important conservation area and a lucrative tourist destination, since 2004.