London witnessed a fantastic elephant parade cross the Mall outside Buckingham Palace recently.
About 100 life-sized Asian elephant sculptures went on display outside the palace marking the launch of the biggest environmental campaign of the year.
The herd of elephant models was installed by conservation group Elephant Family as part of the CoExistence campaign.
Charity Elephant Family was co-founded by the Duchess of Cornwall&rsquos late brother Mark Shand to highlight how elephants now live increasingly in human-dominated landscapes, and it aims to raise awareness of how we can all coexist in close proximity to these magnificent animals.
The installation had an Indian touch. The stunning sculptures were crafted by communities in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, using lantana wood, a weed whose removal from protected areas benefits wildlife.
One can also spot the endangered feathered treasures of London perched on top of the herd symbolising the lost biodiversity in human-dominated landscapes.
The models were positioned in place marching down the Mall in front of the Queen's main residence as a response to &ldquothe increasing overlap between the animal and human world, which is in part responsible for the spread of deadly zoonotic diseases&rdquo.
The fantastic elephant family had made their debut at the Sudeley Castle, Winchcombe where 30 life-sized sculptures are open for visitors until June 6 before they leave for London and are set to travel 13,000-miles around the globe to spread the message of successful coexistence.
Following the parade at the Mall, the elephants will be displayed in various parks of London before they go on sale for between £6,000 for a calf, and £30,000 for a fully grown tusker. The proceeds will go to the Elephant Family, including the expansion of national parks and the protection of native and tribal knowledge as well as establishing secure wildlife corridors to aid safe movement for animals and people.
British actress Joanna Lumley, a supporter of Elephant Family, spoke about how she had once met someone in southern India who had set up an early warning system for people to know when herds of elephants would be crossing. "This idea of coexistence seems to be more and more pressing as the world fills up with more and more people,&rdquo she said.
Elephant Family Trustee Ruth Ganesh said, &ldquoWhat we&rsquore looking at really is something that we [Mark and I] dreamed up together many, many years ago. It feels great to know that more than anything this is what Mark wanted to do, he wanted to evoke through an exhibition the sense of awe and wonder that you feel when you&rsquore actually with a real elephant...He believed that if we could do that, then all the support in the world would follow.&rdquo