Search for Miss Jumbo begins

BANGKOK (AFP) – The search is on for appropriate candidates for Miss Jumbo 2000, Thailand’s best-known beauty pageant for large women, and a major source of funding for elephant conservation. Women must weigh more than 80 kilograms to be eligible for the Jumbo Queen pageant, which will be held on May 1. “The competition aims to find the most beautiful Jumbo Queen to lead the parade of elephants at the Jumbo Banquet,” said a statement put out by the zoo where the event is held. “The winner will represent Thailand’s elephant conservation campaign.” The Jumbo Banquet, over which the Jumbo Queen presides, is a huge feast to highlight the role of the elephant in Thai society and to raise money for elephant preservation.