Beverly Gardens Park will soon be home to 100 life-size elephant sculptures. (photo courtesy of the Great Elephant Migration)

For the month of July, visitors to Beverly Hills might think they’re in foothills of the Himalayas. One-hundred life-size sculptures of Indian Elephants will stand tall in Beverly Gardens Park, a temporary donation from a global fundraising group known as the Great Elephant Migration.

According to cofounders Ruth Ganesh and Fiona Humphrey, the sculptures benefit 21 NGOs that work to resolve conflicts between humans and wildlife. Each sculpture is for sale, and proceeds are donated to conservation efforts. Ganesh and Humphrey presented the exhibition proposal to the Beverly Hills City Council at a study session on May 20.

In the past year, the elephant sculptures have “migrated” west across North America, stopping in New York City, Miami, Houston, Wyoming and Montana before the exhibition culminates in Beverly Hills.

“The journey itself started in July last year in Newport, R.I.,” Ganesh said. “It is a symbolic journey on behalf of all wildlife that is currently navigating a very human-dominated world – crossing roads, navigating train tracks, agricultural plantations and towns and cities.”

Each elephant is based on a real elephant currently migrating across the Nilgiri Hills of southern India. According to the group, “the exhibition amplifies Indigenous knowledge and inspires the human race to share space.” The sculptures are made out of Lantana Camara, an invasive weed that has negatively impacted animal habitats in India.

Ganesh said the group chose Southern California as the final stop for the elephants due to its important ecological landscape and the ongoing creation of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing – a grassy bridge currently under construction that will allow animals to cross over the 101 Freeway. Ganesh said the wildlife crossing is the biggest example of furthering human-wildlife coexistence anywhere in the world.

The Great Elephant Migration exhibition also received support from the wildlife crossing’s namesake donor.

“These truly mesmerizing majestic mammals – sculpted to scale by Indigenous artists using plant remnants – are morally profound works of art that amplify how humans can coexist with nature, rather than co-opt it. The migration piece directly aligns with the Annenberg Foundation’s work globally on conservation, as well as increasing engagement with the arts through powerful communication,” Wallis Annenberg said in a statement. “I am so happy to support this triumphant and most meaningful exhibit, which culminates its American run steps from the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.”

The Great Elephant Migration will provide two security guards who will roam the exhibition between 6 p.m.-8 a.m., and volunteers will be present at the exhibition during the day. The exhibition will be on display between July 1-Aug. 1, with a community preview event on June 30. The sculptures will be spaced out across the landscaped park lawns that span several blocks of Santa Monica Boulevard.

As a donation, the exhibition will not have any cost on the city. However, the City Council waived all fees associated with the installation. The Great Elephant Migration will provide transportation, installation and pay for any related costs.

The city received several letters in support of the installation, and two members of the public spoke in favor of the art exhibition at the City Council study session.

Similarly, the exhibition received unanimous support from the City Council.

“Thank you for bringing this to Beverly Hills,” Mayor Sharona Nazarian said to the cofounders. “This is going to be a great way to increase awareness for important issues that we’re facing.”