An elephant performs in front of a group of children yesterday at the opening of The Third China Animal Sports Meeting at the Shanghai Wild Animal Park. More than 300 animal athletes will participate in various ball games and track and field events.

Shanghai Daily news

Yesterday saw the opening of one of the most exciting sporting competitions in city history, an event that includes boxing bears and poodles competing against each other in the high jump.
The Third China Animal Sports Meeting opened at the Shanghai Wild Animal Park, attracting delegations from 20 provinces and cities across the country.
More than 300 animal athletes, covering some 30 different species such as the Asian elephant, African lion and panther, Siberian tiger, black bear, and macaques from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, will compete for the top prizes in about 50 sporting events this month and next.
The animal athletes will compete in various ball games, gymnastics and track and field, as well as performing acrobatics, the park said.
"The number of participating animals and sporting events this year is unparalleled before in China. It can be called the animal Olympics," said Su Feilong, an official with the park. "Visitors will not only have lots of fun but also experience the wonders of nature."
The opening ceremony kicked off at the park's central stadium when a white parrot appeared unexpectedly, flew into the sky, wowed to the audience, and lighted the torch.
The first day's matches included bears biking, skating, boxing and doing gymnastics, monkeys walking across a balance beam, alpacas hopping over hurdles, poodles high-jumping, elephants doing headstands, and various races involving horses, camels, dogs, and ostriches.
Several hundreds of local primary school students celebrated the special festival with the animals.
Dozens of the children were invited into a friendly pushing match with an elephant weighing several tons, and were defeated in seconds.
Ruan Yiqing, an 11-year-old student at Shanghai Aiju Primary School in Xuhui District, said she was happy and excited to see so many animals playing sports.