Elephant Family is delighted to welcome Anantara Hotels and Resorts as the elephant partner of Concours d’éléphant – the charity’s summer fundraising campaign for the endangered Asian elephant. Labelled ‘From India with Love’, the new campaign is set to throw a kaleidoscope of colour across the city of London this summer, while driving home a strong conservation message for the protection of Asia’s elephants.
A customised fleet of nine Ambassador cars, eight Royal Enfield motorbikes, two tuk-tuks and a Gujarati Chagda makes up the ‘Concours d’éléphant’ – a cavalcade of designer inspired, quintessentially Indian vehicles – while 30 beautifully decorated sculptures from Elephant Parade® will stand sentinel across the capital, ambassadors for their cousins in the wild.
Anantara Hotels and Resorts is proud to support this small, but beautiful, Indian-inspired herd. Exquisitely decorated by some of India’s best artists, designers and creative talents they have travelled from the sub-continent to London to say thank you for the welcome they received in 2010 and for the £4 million raised for elephant conservation. With as few as 40,000 Asian elephants remaining in the wild, this smaller London herd is a gentle reminder that there has never been a more urgent need to protect these awesome animals from the threat of extinction.
“Here at Anantara, we are always looking for like-minded partners who share our true passion in saving elephants. Elephant Family has long been known for its elephant conservation efforts throughout Asia, which is why we feel this partnership is the ideal fit,” said Group Director of Sustainability and Conservation for Anantara, John Roberts. “The more that is known about the plight of elephants worldwide, the greater the chances we have to ensure their survival and I can’t think of a better way to raise awareness than bringing Concours d’éléphant to the streets of London.”
Officially launched by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall on 21st June 2018, the herd was released through Chelsea and Mayfair in locations including Grosvenor Square, Brown Hart Gardens, South Molton Street and Carlos Place. With two splendid elephants taking up residence at The Beaumont Hotel, London based sister property of Anantara.
Visitors will be able to get up close to the elephants and share their photos and elephant selfies, or “elphies”, with hashtags – #elephantparadelondon and #fromindiawithlove – to help spread awareness of the plight of Asia’s elephants. And, should you have room for an elephant at home or in your office, aspirant elephant adopters have the opportunity to bid for their favourite online at https://paddle8.com/auction/elephant-parade-london/ All money raised will help support Elephant Family’s vital elephant conservation projects across Asia.
