As young children, we are taught about the most recognisable animal in the African wildlife, Elephants.  Distinctive for their large bodies, ears and trunks, the elephant is nicknamed the ‘landscape architect.’ Found in both Africa and Asia, elephants eat vast amounts of vegetation and spread seeds throughout the land.  They also shape thick woodland areas, creating clearings and gaps in forests allowing sunlight to reach seedlings, helping the forest to regenerate naturally.  However, despite their large physical presence, elephants have declined significantly throughout the 21^st Century, most recently in the last ten years, due to habitat loss, climate change and the biggest epidemic of all, human- elephant conflict through the illegal ivory trade.

Both African and Asian elephant numbers continue to decline daily, with Asian Elephants regarded as critically endangered with just 40,000 left in the wild closely followed by the African Elephant with 41,000. Despite poaching being regarded as illegal, the want for ivory and ivory souvenirs has increased, predominately in Asian countries, as it is regarded as a status symbol due to their rarity.  Consequently, over 20,000 elephants are illegally poached every year, equating to approximately one being killed every 25 minutes.

The Elephant sculpture was created with Tusk Trust in mind. Inspired by conservation initiatives which protect threatened wildlife and habitats across Africa, including counter-poaching training and a patrolling network, the British Ironwork Centre created the elephant sculpture for a Tusk event, which highlighted the need for these programmes.  Continuing the commitment of aiding national and global issues through metal art, the Ironworks created the sculpture to remind onlookers of the horrors of the illegal wildlife trade.  Commissioned shortly after the success of the Rhino Sculpture, which sits within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (DEFRA) reception, the elephant sculpture continues to highlight the pressing issue that without our support of such wildlife conservation programmes, animals that roam the African and Asian landscape could soon be no more.