BENGALURU, 3 FEB

A one-month-long art exhibition showcasing 100 life-size elephant sculptures started in City on Saturday. These sculptures are made out of the stem of Lantana weed, an invasive species of plant.

Lantana Camara is an invasive weed that is native to South and Central America. The tribals of Tamil Nadu’s Gudalur made these sculptures from the Lantana wood found in the Nilgiris. This project, called “Coexistence: The Great Elephant Migration”, aims to spread awareness about human-wildlife harmony and conservation.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Subhash Malkade, IFS, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests;  M Jagadish, Joint Director of Horticulture Department (Parks and Gardens); and environmentalist AN Yellappa Reddy.

As many as 60 elephants were unveiled at Lalbagh Botanical Garden, while smaller herds will be kept at parks, metro stations and tech campuses. Each elephant represents a real-life elephant that lives among humans in Karnataka.

Malkade said: “This exhibition is called coexistence because we wanted to educate the public on how to live peacefully among these gentle giants. Many of the elephants venture into cities because these are just landscapes for them. They do not know which is the city limit and which is not. They can cross the areas without a conflict with the humans with the help of Rapid Response Force and radio-collaring.”

The exhibition is also a good method for clearing invasive species of plants like Lantana, said environmentalist Reddy. “These invasive species are the reason why biodiversity of the forest areas might get into trouble. This plant has already overrun 40 per cent of South India’s protected areas,” he said.

It is a time-consuming and tough process to make these elephants, Ketan, a member of the Betakuruba tribe of Gudalur told Salar News. “It takes two to three months to finish one sculpture, depending on the size of the elephant.”

Besides the exhibition, the organisers will host a film festival, a photo exhibition, a photography contest, nature walks, street plays, role-play games and expert talks.

The exhibition in Bengaluru is part of a worldwide tour and before coming to Bengaluru, lantana elephants were put up at Cochin, London and Chennai. After the Bengaluru sojourn, the elephants will be travelling to the USA. —Salar News