Blood oozed across the dry, dusty earth as the high priest of Gadhimai raised his traditional khukuri knife and beheaded the five animals before him, triggering a frenzy of killing in the early hours of a foggy Sunday morning.

As Nepal's Gadhimai festival witnesses a mass animal sacrifice, over 700 buffaloes, goats, and pigeons are saved thanks to animal groups and border police. Despite the brutal ritual, efforts to protect animals shine a light on the ongoing fight against animal cruelty.

Activists and government officials have raised concerns about the ritualistic slaughter of thousands of animals at the temple in Nepal.