Access Self Storage, of Merton Road in Wandsworth, England, has released 260 baby elephants that it was holding in storage. The elephants paraded through London this week, as part of a campaign to save the Asian elephant called, aptly, Elephant Parade.
The elephants are not alive, of course. But they are life-size. They are made of fiberglass. The painted elephants are part of Elephant Parade, a campaign being held by conservation group Elephant Family, to raise money to save endangered Asian elephants. The parade was led by Elephant Family trustee Mark Shand. Now that the parade is over, the elephants will be placed in locations all over London, including Green Park, Hyde Park, St. James' Park, King's Road, Queen's Walk, Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Street, Hamley's Toy Store, Selfridge's, Trafalgar Square, Westminster, Marble Arch, Chelsea Royal Hospital, the Natural History Museum, Greenwich, and Briston.
The elephants were painted by local artists and celebrities. Their creators included artists Mark Quinn, Jack Vettriano, and Sacha Jafri; designers Julien MacDonald, Diane von Furstenberg, John Rocha, Alice Temperley, Lulu Guinness, Nina Campbell, and Nicky Haslam; and photographer Peter Beard.
Jeweler Sabine Roemer made an elephant with a 700-carat emerald on its head. "I decided I wanted to create the most valuable elephant on parade," Roemer told Vanity Fair. "Well, it was for charity!"
The elephant parade took place two days before Britain's national elections, so parade organizers placed three elephants, representing British party leaders Gordon Brown, David Cameron, and Nick Clegg, at the front of the parade. The three were painted in red, blue, and yellow boxing gear. "I'm looking forward to painting on black eyes at each blow they receive in the election," Shand told Vanity Fair.
The elephants will remain on exhibit in London from May through July. Then they will be auctioned. The money raised in the auction will be donated to Elephant Family and 20 other conservation groups.
Conservation groups plan to use the money that is raised by Elephant Parade to help preserve the Asian elephant's habitat. The Asian elephant has declined in number by about 90 percent over the last century. Asian elephants are expected to be extinct within 30 years.
Sources used:
"Elephant Parade in London -- jumbo sculptures with a message!" WWF News. May 6, 2010.
Naylor-Leyland, Violet. "Disillusioned with British politics but inspired by elephants." VF Daily. May 5, 2010.
"Painted Wandsworth elephants to be displayed around London." Wandsworth Guardian. May 7, 2010.
Palk, Susannah. "Painted elephants on parade in London." CNN. May 6, 2010.