New Delhi - In India it's now possible to buy an elephant and have it delivered to your doorstep, it was reported on Thursday.
Rural traders at the Sonepur cattle fair, said to be the largest in Asia, began the customer-friendly marketing strategy this year, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported.
The popular annual fair in the north-eastern Indian state of Bihar attracts buyers from across the country and lasts a month. This year the state government banned the commercial sale of elephants at the fair, in keeping with the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act.
Elephant traders who had travelled across India to Sonepur insisted they should be allowed to practise their traditional trade.
To get around the ban the wily traders thought up the delivery scheme. The buyer makes an advance payment on the elephant and then gets it delivered to their home as a "gift", at which time the rest of the money is given, the report said.
So far, two pachyderms have been "gifted". An elephant can cost between 500 000 to one million rupees (about R75 000 and R150 000). - Sapa-DPA