Statue Introduction:
Each of the bronze elephant statues based on wild orphaned elephants is thin and looks pitiful. This group of elephant statues is located near Marble Arch in London. There are 21 elephants in this collection. We could see that each elephant has realistic details. The 21 life-size bronze elephants were unveiled at London’s Marble Arch on 4 December 2019 to raise awareness of the disappearance of African elephants from the wild. If people don’t pay attention to this problem, they would become extinct.
These large bronze statues were created by artists and activists Gillie and Marc in support of the Sheldrick Wildlife Foundation. The foundation helps save elephants affected by poaching and protects habitats and ecosystems in Kenya. The 21 elephants include 20 baby elephants and a mother elephant. The elephant sculptures currently perch next to Marble Arch, with each baby elephant representing an orphaned elephant in the care of the charity. Twenty elephant sculptures are modeled after real orphan baby elephants currently in the care of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Each sculpture includes the name of the orphaned elephant they represent and their sad backstory.
We could see a female elephant sitting in the middle of the herd. The baby elephants around it are all orphans. They were orphaned because of poachers, habitat loss, climate change, and more. Some other elephants are orphaned because of conflicts between humans and other wild animals. These victim baby elephants are currently being cared for and raised by the African Trust.
Creation Idea of these Elephant Statues:
Internationally acclaimed artists Gillie and Marc created this series of bronze elephant sculptures and placed them on the lawn of London’s Marble Arch to raise money and awareness for the next generation of elephants. Therefore, these life-size bronze sculptures are also collectively referred to as “the elephants of tomorrow”. Artists Gillie and Marc use their talents to “spread the message of love, equality, and protection around the world”. “Without action, Africa’s elephants could be extinct by 2040. These sculptures represent the elephants left behind by poachers and human-wildlife conflict, who would grow to become the elephants of tomorrow,” said the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, which helped unveil the statues.
Although this bronze elephant statue collection is art with a purpose. But it could make passersby realize the precarious existence of the world’s elephants. That’s why the artist chose to place this group of bronze elephant statues on the lawn beneath London’s famous Marble Arch. Hopefully, with the help of people, these elephants could become healthier and stronger. Such bronze statues working for charity are worthy of existence and have very high artistic value.
