\u201cThe whole journey began when we, together, decided to recreate every single elephant that lives in that landscape with the Indigenous communities who know them all by name and personality,\u201d Ganesh said. <\/p>\n
The statues were woven from the Lantana camara<\/a> plant, which is considered to be one of the world\u2019s worst invasive species by the Global Invasive Species Database<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe took this leap to not only remove it from the forest, but actually make something beautiful that helps wildlife with it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The statues debuted in Newport, R.I., in 2024, and traveled to eight American cities including New York City, Miami, and Beverly Hills. After the five-week stint in Boston, the herd will move on to Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., and ultimately to Europe.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not very often that you get to fuse a world like Boston, for example, with a fairly remote rural Indigenous community in southern India,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat\u2019s been unique about Boston is the overwhelmingly warm welcome that the elephants have been given.\u201d<\/p>\n . Each sculpture is paired with a conservation organization that will receive proceeds from the sales. Since its launch in 2024, the Great Elephant Migration has raised $1.4 million to support human-wildlife coexistence projects.While the beneficiaries span across the globe, money will also go towards local organizations including the New England Aquarium<\/a>\u2019s initiatives to protect the North Atlantic right whale<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe love the poetry of one of the biggest land mammals helping one of the biggest oceanic mammals,\u201d Ganesh said. \u201cWhales and elephants seem like great bedfellows.\u201d<\/p>\n The installation is free and open to the public. It will run from Saturday until Sept. 13, at the Commonwealth Avenue Mall between Arlington and Fairfield streets. <\/p>\n \u201cThese elephants, being famous for their memories, remind people of how magnificent our world is. We\u2019re so grateful to share that with Boston, and I can\u2019t wait to raise the tape on Saturday.\u201d <\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/XPPT7NEUZL5MNH5SHI4JHJ4MRE.jpg\")
The detail of an elephant’s eye. The display of 100-life size statues arrived in Boston Thursday. Jonathan Wiggs\/Globe Staff<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/LZV44DZBIDUFKFZA5VHVOAQR2A.jpg\")
The Great Elephant Migration, arrived on Thursday to the Commonwealth Avenue Mall in Boston in partnership with title sponsor The ‘Quin House. The public will have the opportunity to experience this extraordinary outdoor installation featuring 100 life-size elephant sculptures handcrafted by Indigenous artisans from India’s Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The display will be open from Aug. 8-Sept. 13. Jonathan Wiggs\/Globe Staff<\/p>\n