Event by Coexistence Consortium; 15 life-sized Lantana elephants were displayed in front of Vidhan Soudha, Bangalore

15 life-size "Lantana elephants" were on exhibit in front of Vidhan Soudha as part of an event hosted by Coexistence Consortium, an NGO dedicated to promoting human-animal cooperation, and Unboxing Bengaluru habba.

Minister of Law, Parliamentary Affairs, Legislation, and Tourism H.K. Patil officiated the exhibition.

M.M. Hills and B.R. Hills, two Soliga community members, were also in attendance.

The sculptures known as Lantana elephants are crafted from Lantana camara, an invasive plant often seen in the Nilgiris. Crafted by over 150 artists from native communities in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka, the statues are said to have brought in almost ₹3.5 crores in sales.

The event's organisers claim that their goal is to simultaneously address two issues: to offer a workable solution to the invasive species problem and to advance the concept of coexistence in light of the rising number of man-animal conflicts in the state. Although there are already 15 elephants on show, the organisers announced that by January, they hope to add 100 additional constructions.