It’s been a summer of international visitors in Boston. First, the Tartan Army (an estimated 20,000 kilt-clad Scottish fans, as rowdy as they were endearing, in Boston for the World Cup). And now, elephants!
Granted, these are statues, but these majestic life-sized creations, each representing a specific named elephant, are entrancing visitors of all ages who are flocking to the 32-acre Commonwealth Avenue Mall to see them.
The impressively realistic statues were created by Indigenous artists from India’s Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve using the invasive lantana camara plant. And, at the end of the elephants’ stay, they’ll be sold for between $8,000 and $22,000 each to raise money for the New England Aquarium’s initiatives to protect the North Atlantic right whale.
The Great Elephant Migration was cofounded by Ruth Ganesh, and will be in Boston until Sept. 13. Ganesh joins host Robin Young at the exhibit to talk about how it came about, and why it’s bringing some visitors to tears.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
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