London is full of elephants! Herds of massive, life-size elephant statues have recently been set up in locations throughout the city, including Green Park, St James’s Park, and Berkeley Square.
This new art installation is a collaborative project carried out by CoExistence and Elephant Family, two non-profit organizations.
It’s meant to make a statement about how humans have impacted the wilderness across the globe. It’s also intended to encourage them to live more peacefully alongside animals and mitigate the damage they cause to their homes.
As the human population has expanded over the last several decades, the wilderness has shrunk dramatically.
According to a report published in Colossal, in 1937, 66 percent of the planet’s environments were intact, and 2.3 billion people lived on Earth. Now, 7.9 billion people live on Earth, and a mere 35 percent of the wilderness remains.
Not only are the elephant statues intended to raise awareness about environmental issues, but they’re also a unique fundraising effort. The creators hope to generate funds to support organizations in India that support indigenous communities while also establishing technology to help humans and animals live more symbiotically.
This project has covered a lot of ground so far. It’s not complete yet, though.
CoExistence also plans to partner with another non-profit, The Real Elephant Collective. The goal is to install 500 elephants (along with several other animal species) throughout the world. Various nations will receive herds that are designed for their specific location.
These elephants certainly do a good job of catching people’s attention and making a statement. Each one stands about 15 feet in height and weighs almost 800 pounds. They’re constructed from Lantana camara, a type of weed that grows thickly and disturbs the environments where it takes root.
Those who want to see how the elephant statues are made can check out the video below.