Elephant Parade

Met a friend for coffee at our local shopping centre and we found ourselves in the midst of a large herd of brightly coloured elephants, many of them almost life-size. Well, the size of baby elephants, anyway.

We learned that it is an attention-getter for Elephant Parade, said to be the world’s largest art exhibition of full size decorated elephant statues, aimed at attracting public awareness and support for Asian elephant conservation. The statues have been created by prominent artists and celebrities, and each elephant is a unique piece of art. After the exhibition, most elephants are auctioned or sold to raise money for the charity The Asian Elephant Foundation.

There are currently 28 elephants in and around the shopping centre. This bejewelled one was my favourite, and it seemed to be the biggest magnet for children too.