Singapore: Elephant Rampage

For elephant enthusiasts, this open air art exhibit sees over 100 elephants scattered throughout the Lion City to raise awareness about the conservation of Asian elephants threatened with extinction.

Organized by the ElephantParade.org, each elephant is uniquely painted and decorated by celebrities, and famous artists and designers who bestowed distinct names to embody their elephant’s motif, like: Alldressedup, Little Hairy, As Free as a Bird, Clown, Love Song, among others. Most elephants are purely painted, while others are ornamented with hats and horns. On parade from 11 November 2011 until 12 January 2012, the elephants are displayed throughout tourist destinations such as Orchard Road and Marina Bay Sands as well as the business district including a large assortment in Raffles Place.

At 313 @ Somerset, Orchard Road:

At Raffles Place:

At the end of the Singapore parade, these elephants will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s in January 2012 though no official dates have been set yet. This happens to every wave of elephants after their city parades.

Singapore is the first Asian city where these elephants have made their debut, after their launch in Rotterdam, Netherlands, in 2007. Since then, the Elephant Parade has been featured in Antwerp, Amsterdam, London, Bergen, Ennem, Copenhagen and Milan.

Elephants beside the Singapore Visitors Center on Orchard Road:

To date, the mission has raised over ┝š ¬4 million (US$5.4 million) for organizations and projects dedicated to the conservation of Asian elephants. Latest elephant figures, from 2003, estimated that there were only 41,000-52,000 that roamed wild in Asia’s tropical forests, and they continue to be at high risk of extinction due to the on-going loss and degradation of their natural habitats, and through human contact such as poaching and hunting for their ivory, meat and skin, according to the WWF.

“Not Forgotten” infront of the Asian Civilisations Museum:

“Stop Asian’s Ahead!” at Raffles Place:

Untapped Citiesfinds it particularly noteworthy that Singapore is the first destination outside Europe for the Elephant Parade. As many elephants are hunted for their ivory, it is positive that the parade finally comes to Asia as this region is responsible for a large majority of global ivory demand.

“Medication for the Soul” at Marina Bay Sands Waterfront:

Mark Spits, the brainchild behind the mission, said in recent footage that he dreamed that the Asian elephant populations could: “overcome their problems, and be able to stay forever,”  a vision that will hopefully materialize.

The organizers have yet to reveal which city the elephants will appear in next, though here are more photos of these adorable elephants as they rampage through Singapore.

“Leather Trunk” in front of Republic Plaza:

“Timeless Chic” outside the Asian Civilisations Museum:

“Space for the Three Alphabets” at Raffles Place:

“Orangphant” at Raffles Place:

“One Degree North” at Singapore Visitors Centre, Orchard Road:

“Little Hairy” at Raffles Place:

“Handle with Care” at Raffles Place:

“Damaged Dumbo” at Raffles Place: