Great Elephant Migration reaches New York: Tuskers from India spread the message of coexistence

The Great Elephant Migration, a travelling exhibit of 100 life-sized elephant sculptures, has reached New York. Crafted by Indian artisans over a period of five years, this magnificent herd aims to spread the message of coexistence as it travels across the United States. IAS officer Supriya Sahu shared a video of the travelling elephant herd on X this morning. “These elephant sculptures have been made by local tribal artisans from Gudalur in Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, from the invasive lantana species,” she wrote.

Take a look at the video below:

What is the Great Elephant Migration?

The Great Elephant Migration is a global fundraising campaign “to amplify indigenous knowledge and inspire the human race to share space.” The exhibit features 100 elephant sculptures, crafted from the invasive lantana weed, that will travel across the US to spread the message of coexistence.

As a collaboration between indigenous artisans, contemporary artists and cultural institutions, the campaign aims to raise millions of dollars towards “human-wildlife coexistence projects” and to “protect migratory animals making spectacular journeys across land, rivers, skies and oceans,” according to the campaign website.

Who crafted these elephant sculptures?

Each elephant has been created by The Coexistence Collective, a community of 200 indigenous artisans from the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve of Tamil Nadu.

Artisans of the Bettakurumba, Paniya, Kattunayakan and Soliga communities worked together to create each life-like, anatomically correct elephant sculpture. They spent half a decade crafting these intricate sculptures.

Every sculpture in the herd is modelled from a real elephant, currently roaming the Nilgiri Hills in Southern India.

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What are they made of?

The elephants are made from lantana camara, one of the world’s top invasive weeds. This flowering weed is a very adaptable species and spreads rapidly once introduced in an ecosystem.

“The use of lantana to create the elephants helps remove the weed from protected areas, leaving wildlife more space to roam,” explains The Great Elephant Migration website.

Who is behind this campaign?

The Great Elephant Migration is delivered by Elephant Family USA, a charity that works to protect Asian wildlife.

It is also supported by cultural tastemakers and high-profile names from the worlds of conservation, media, and fashion. Indian luxury house Sabyasachi is a sponsor for the exhibit.

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