Bengaluru
In a unique feat, fifteen elephants created from a toxic and invasive plant species, Lantana camara, are currently on display outside the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. The display of the sculptures was inaugurated by Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs, Legislation and Tourism H.K. Patil on Wednesday evening with the aim of promoting human-wildlife coexistence in the state. The elephants were unveiled as a part of the Unboxing Bengaluru Habba in collaboration with the Soliga community in MM Hills and BR Hills in southern Karnataka. The event was organised by the Coexistence Collective, a range of conservation organisations promoting human-wildlife coexistence, and will be on display for the next five days. This unboxing event is a precursor to the launch of 100 lantana elephants that are coming to Bengaluru between January 15 and February 15th, across multiple green spaces in the city, along with a range of talks, workshops and round-table discussions linked to the exhibition happening all across the city. Speaking on the occasion, Minister HK Patil said, Bengaluru is known for its innovation and it is wonderful to see the unboxing of this highly innovative project here with so many aspects rolled into one – invasive species management, tribal livelihoods, human-wildlife coexistence. Patil added that Karnataka is an international tourist destination on account of its forests and hosts the largest part of the western ghats, which is the 8th most biodiverse place on the earth.
