With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today .
100 ‘elephants’ migrate into Beverly Hills with a message of coexistence
The elephants traveled along the East Coast, through the South and Great Plains, and made a stop in Montana. Their final destination: Beverly Hills on Friday.
(
Destiny Torres
/
LAist
)
After traveling more than 5,000 miles across the United States, the Great Elephant Migration is ending its journey in Beverly Hills.
The 100 elephant sculptures — signifying a peaceful coexistence between animals and humans — were hauled in on pickup trucks along Santa Monica Boulevard. The last three elephants crossed a ceremonial finish line outside the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on Friday.
The project is intended to inspire others to care more for nature.
“It's meant to show communities in the U.S. what it's like to live with wildlife, how to coexist with it, in a way where we are able to have a relationship, as opposed to seeing it as something distant,” said Feh Tarty, chairperson of Elephant Family USA, the nonprofit behind the exhibit. “We want people to start to think of the wildlife in their own communities and have a different perspective on what is their purpose here.”
Support for LAist comes from
Creating the elephants
The elephants are life-sized and made of lantana camara, an invasive shrub that has sprouted across India’s forests, pushing elephants out of their habitats. Each elephant is a replica of a real wild Indian elephant.
The sculptures are a collaborative effort handmade by the artists who live alongside them in southern India.
Jaishankar Raman and his wife, Lakshmi, said they have been following the elephants’ journey online since their first stop in Rhode Island.
“I think it's incredible to learn that there are so many complexities of elephants and how they live with humans,” Jaishankar Raman said. “This project kind of brings together the difficulties, but also what can be done to make positive change.”
The two are looking forward to walking down Santa Monica Boulevard to appreciate the sculptures.
Support for LAist comes from
The figures are made of an invasive plant that has pushed Indian elephants out of their habitats.
(
Destiny Torres
/
LAist
)
Some visitors joined in on the celebration to cheer on their artist friends. Ruth Mathieu said she and her family were there to see the artistry and support one of the blanket designers.
“Just being here, you see all the beautiful colors, people from different nationalities here wearing their native clothes, and the elephants are just so beautiful,” Mathieu said. “The main word that comes to mind is — unity.”
Nicole King came to L.A. from New York to see one of her blanket designs grace an elephant sculpture.
“It actually speaks to, I think, what we'd like the United States to be about right now, which is basically history of everyone's history,” King said. “It’s a celebration of all these artisans coming together as one community.
The elephants are for sale from $8,000 to $22,000. Proceeds go to projects that protect biodiversity and support the coexistence of humans and animals.
The figures traveled a circuitous 5,000-mile route to get to Beverly Hills from Rhode Island.
(
Destiny Torres
/
LAist
)
Support for LAist comes from
Check it out
Curious about the sculptures? See them for yourself starting July 1. The exhibition will take up four blocks of Beverly Gardens Park in Beverly Hills through Aug. 1.
“You can try to imagine it all you want … but until you see it, it's gonna pull something out of you that you wouldn't believe you've experienced,” Tarty said. “You just have to see it and have that visual experience. That's what these sculptures do for people.”
See you in Beverly Hills.
(
Destiny Torres
/
LAist
)
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Flauta, taquito, tacos dorados? Whatever they’re called, they’re golden, crispy and delicious. -
If California redistricts, the conservative beach town that banned LGBTQ Pride flags on city property would get a gay, progressive Democrat in Congress. -
Most survivors of January's fires face a massive gap in the money they need to rebuild, and funding to help is moving too slowly or nonexistent. -
Kevin Lacy has an obsession with documenting California’s forgotten and decaying places. -
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures. -
It will be the second national day of protest against President Donald Trump.
Best of LAist