Great Elephant Migration in NYC

To know me in real life, is knowing my love for Elephants run deep. So deep, I traveled to Africa just to see them live and in person. *in case you missed it, click –>: My Elephant Experience in South Africa …*

So when I heard about the GREAT ELEPHANT MIGRATION Outdoor Art Installation taking place in NYC, of course I had to see it for myself. This would also be my chance to witness one of New York City’s biggest Art Installations ever.

This was a traveling exhibit of 100 handcrafted wood elephants. This was also a “Fundraising Adventure”, with a goal to, “raise millions of dollars to power human-wildlife coexistence projects and protect migratory animals making spectacular journeys across land, rivers, skies and oceans.”

So I hopped on the (Chinatown) bus from Norfolk, Virginia and headed back home to New York City. I linked up with one of my friends, Sherring, a Blogger and Published Author who I met a few years ago on Instagram. We went to explore The Elephants together. Books brought us together but she, Too, has a love for my Spiritual animal.

We arrived to the Meatpacking District and from a distance, the elephants looked (almost) real. They were various sizes; a few bigger than me. As I got closer, I was in awe of the details. I couldn’t believe these were handcrafted. They were perfectly built. The creators of these elephants live in Southern India where they coexisted with the elephants.

On the first street, there were a few elephants facing in the same direction and each one had a different personality. I kept reminding myself that the hands who made these elephants lived with them, played with them, spoke with them. “Them” meaning Real Elephants. In fact, the elephants were named and made in the images and in mind of the real ones.

I don’t know if I seen all 100 of them, I kept losing count but I did have a conversation with each one I did meet even if it was a short Prayer. Some I just said, “Thank you for being here.” And, “Bless the hands that made you with love.”

I learned they were made out of LANTANA, which grows in Tropical regions and is like a weed that harms the food the (real) elephants eat so creating these amazing sculptures is like recycling the weeds from bad to good use. It took a ton of hard work and each one takes almost or about 3 months to complete from start to finish.

As the elephants move across the United States, its going to be like them moving in real life, spreading love. Next to each elephant there was a plaques with the elephants name and a KR code to scan if you wanted to make a purchase or donation.

You were also able to help the Herd move along by scanning some of the elephants with special KR codes and by doing this you can help them move along towards Los Angeles to the finish line which will be in July 2025.

The KR Codes gave more information like, how losing one species has a snowball effect. We must preserve Nature and the Habitat around us as well as the animals we share the earth with.

One of the beauties of Elephants besides them being the smartest and largest in the world, they are also representatives of Strength, Good Fortune, and Prosperity.

At the touch, they really make you feel like they’re real. You can feel the love that was put into making them. You were able to hug them, love on them, take pictures. Talk to them. However, although I was tempted, you we not able to climb on them. Trust me, the kid in me wanted to but they had a sign prohibiting it.